The Struggle Within Peace
by siriusismyhero
Summary: The War is over and the Wizarding World is stabilizing. But not all is well. Ron has broken off his engagement with Hermione. Ginny and Harry can't bare to be in the same room as one another. And a certain Weasley is back from Romania. EWE.
1. Chapter 1

**The Struggle Within Peace**

Part 1

There wasn't a word in Hermione Granger's extensive vocabulary that expressed precisely how she felt after Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt told her that her division at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was one of those on the short list for being "redistributed." The first word that had popped into her mind was _shock_ and then, perhaps _panic_ with just a dash of _fear_ and _worry_. But now that she was back sitting in her large corner office with the blinds and doors closed to hide herself from her coworkers, she didn't think that those words were at all accurate. She probably spent a quarter of an hour searching her mind for a correct word - or words - but nothing came up. For one of the first times in her life, words failed her.

This in itself was unsettling - it wasn't often that words failed Hermione Granger, but coupled with the fact that she had a meeting in fifteen minutes with Ernie MacMillan, former Hufflepuff and Dumbledore's Army member, who was now working in the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Office, Hermione felt rather sick. The meeting was absolutely crucial for her latest – and perhaps last – act in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. And it was absolutely imperative that she succeed. It had been a cause close to her heart for quite a long time. But she had yet to send it in for the Minister's stamp of approval. And she knew that, at the moment, she was unlikely to get it, even with the success of her last project. She needed someone else's voice. Which was where Ernie came in.

They were meeting for lunch in a quaint little restaurant down the street, where Hermione was looking forward to purchasing a cinnamon roll. Or, with her current state of mind, perhaps something a little sweeter was in order.

Exhaling loudly, Hermione straightened her spine and gave her hands a little shake. "Time to face the world," she muttered. With an air of confidence that she really didn't feel, she threw open her office door, grabbed her cloak and announced to Beth, her legal assistant, that she was going out.

Ernie was already waiting for her when Hermione arrived at the shop, which surprised her - she made a point of always being at least five minutes early to a meeting, and this time it ended up being nearly ten minutes. "I hope you haven't been waiting long," Hermione told him quietly as she slid into the chair across from him.

"Oh, not at all. I'm early. I always try to be at least twelve minutes early to a meeting." He smiled widely as Hermione stared at him. She didn't know anyone else who made a point of getting to a meeting earlier than she did, not to mention such a strange number as _twelve_. He continued to grin as he waved the waitress over to ask for menus. They perused these silently until they ordered - Hermione had skipped the cinnamon roll, ordering instead a caesar salad. She had the sudden need to seem as professional as possible. "So." Ernie said importantly once the menus had been taken away and their drinks had been set in front of them, "What can I do for you, Hermione?"

Hermione blinked. It was usually lunch-meeting protocol to at least have the orders in front of you before bringing up the reason for the meeting. Hermione usually liked to play safe and wait until they were nearly finished their meal.

She cleared her throat after a few moments hesitation and pulled out a folder full of her research and petitions. "I've been working on something that I thought you might be interested in." She pushed the folder towards him, feeling suddenly much more comfortable and confident. Her departmental problems vanished from her mind almost as if a charm had been cast on her. "Do you remember when I started up S.P.E.W. at Hogwarts?"

Ernie had been about to open the file when she mentioned S.P.E.W., but he quickly removed his hand, almost as if it was poisonous, and looked at her warily. "You're not still on about that?"

Hermione frowned at him. "Yes, Ernie, I am. Non-humans are seriously mistreated by wizards. Their rights need to-"

Ernie sighed heavily and shook his head. "Hermione. House Elves are _happy_ with the way things-"

"I'm not just talking about House Elves, Ernie," Hermione said shortly. "I'm talking about all non-humans. Goblins, Werewolves, House Elves, Giants - yes, Ernie, even Giants. Of course, there would have to be clauses about violence towards both other non-humans and humans in the bill."

"I really don't think this will fly with the Ministry. It's been this way for ages."

"That is no reason to keep it the same!" Hermione exclaimed, but just as she was about to gear up for a rant, their food arrived, and she was forced to fall silent. _This_, she thought, _is why I wait to start_. Ernie immediately began to eat, but Hermione didn't touch her salad. Instead, she watched him very carefully while he shoveled food into his mouth. "Ernie, do you really think that all of the prejudices in the Ministry - in the Wizarding community - are okay?"

Ernie shook his head, but didn't respond immediately. He took his time chewing and then took a long draught of his drink before responding. "No, I don't. But I thought you'd be wanting to crack down on those ignoring your last bill."

Hermione leaned back in her chair, understanding. "Is that what your resistance is about, then? You're upset that I'm trying to free the non-humans from their awful lot before I continue my fight against blood prejudices? Ernie...non-humans have a much worse time than muggleborns do."

"I'm not saying that I don't agree with you. I'm just saying that your last bill only just went through. Change needs to be slow."

He took another generous bite from his plate while Hermione contemplated what he had said. She picked at her salad absentmindedly, turning it around in her mind until she realized that he was very much correct. "You're right," she conceded, taking a sip from her iced tea, "and I had hoped to continuing my fight against Purebloodism. But right now, my focus is this. Are you interested, or not?" Ernie sat back in his chair, his plate nearly empty, and considered her. But before he could speak, Hermione continued. "Having another voice on this - especially yours, being in the Department for Control of Magical Creatures - would really help."

Ernie glanced down at the folder resting beneath his hand. "What is this?"

"My research. Testimonials. A very rough draft for a bill that I want to go through the Minister's Office and the Wizengamot, now that it's been reinstated. Support from the public."

He flipped the folder open and scanned its contents very briefly. "I'd like to take a look at what you've got here before I give you a definite answer." He glanced up at her. "But tentatively, I would like to help you."

Hermione grinned widely. "Thank you, Ernie. I really appreciate it." She glanced at the clock on the wall behind Ernie and was surprised that fourty-five minutes had passed. She was about to mention it, when Ernie did. He suggested they go back to the Ministry, which she agreed on, and once they had paid the bill, they left together.

They were silent for the journey back to the office; both seemed to have a lot to think about, until they stopped to wait for the lift. "Hermione, I was wondering...what are you doing tomorrow night for dinner?"

Hermione jolted in surprise and turned to stare at him. He looked completely serious. She really hoped he wasn't. "Er, tomorrow night?"

Ernie nodded.

The lift doors open and Hermione stepped inside hesitantly, suddenly not eager to be in the empty lift alone with him. "Er...well it's Harry's birthday party tomorrow."

"Well what about next week then?"

Hermione frowned. He certainly was persistent. And if this was anything but professional, she wasn't sure she could bring herself to accept. She hadn't even thought about going out on a date with anyone for months. "Ernie, I really don't think-"

"I'll give you my answer."

Hermione frowned. Was he actually trying to bribe her into going out with him? Or was this all just business? "Well...alright. But not dinner. How about coffee?"

It was Ernie's turn to frown at her. He was obviously not happy with her changing his plan. "Alright," he said slowly, "should we say Friday after work? I know a good place not far from here."

"Er, yeah, alright."

The lift doors opened then, and Hermione was glad when Ernie left, albeit a little reluctantly. She sighed heavily and leaned against the wall, which was vibrating slightly with the movement of the lift. She could already tell that this was going to be a stressful week, and it was only Monday.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

Peeling corncobs seemed to be the only thing that Hermione was able to do without causing a scene. Since arriving at the Burrow that afternoon, she had caused the entire Weasley family to turn on Ron, Mrs. Weasley to burst into tears and Ron himself to storm upstairs and refuse to speak to anyone for nearly an hour and a half. It was the first time since she had been introduced to Ron's family that she had felt uncomfortable being surrounded by them. She felt like an intruder amongst the inhabitants of the Burrow, who all seemed to have permanent smiles etched onto their faces. Except for Ron, of course. He was no more happier spending the day in close proximity with Hermione than she was with him. But it was Harry's birthday, and there was no way she was going to skip out on her best friends' birthday because of Ronald.

Hermione tossed the husk into the rubbish bin and stared mournfully out the window in front of her, where she could see Harry and Ron chasing chickens around the yard, trying with little success to herd them towards their coop. Harry dove at one of the chickens and ended up face-first in a puddle of mud. The corner of Hermione's lips twitched until she noticed Ron nearly doubled up with laughter. Her already wounded heart seemed to shatter. How could he honestly be happy enough to be laughing in that way? Was he that well rid of her?

"Hey, Hermione."

Hermione flinched and hastily lunged for one of the un-peeled cobs. She somehow ended up sending the rubbish bin skidding across the floor, spewing its contents across the kitchen. Hermione winced and forced herself to bite back the curse on her lips. Instead, she glanced at Charlie Weasley, who was standing a few feet away from her. According to Ginny, Charlie was back in London for a couple of months. Something had happened in Romania that he wouldn't talk about. It had obviously been bad enough that he was put on desk duty.

Hermione ducked her face away from Charlie as her cheeks grew warm. "Are you-?" he started, but he cut off when Hermione dropped to her knees and began to pick up the rubbish scattered across the floor. "Hermione." His shadow crossed her on the floor, but she refused to look up until he waved his wand and all of the rubbish flew back into the bin on it's own accord. Hermione's embarrassment deepened, but she stood anyway, and forced herself to meet his eye, if only briefly.

"Thanks," she muttered, running a hand through her messy hair.

She saw him nod out of the corner of her eye as she went back to peeling the corn. She had peeled half a dozen more before she turned to face him. His eyes hadn't left her once, his eyebrows knitted together with what was probably concern. With good reason. When she had first arrived that day, she discovered that Ron had yet to tell his family that he had broken off their engagement. Mrs. Weasley had been so thrilled to see her. They all had really, except for Ron. And then Ginny noticed that Hermione wasn't wearing her engagement ring. The family's reaction hadn't been what Hermione had expected. She had expected that they would go really quiet and that she would - just as quietly - asked to be excused and flee back to the flat that she shared with Luna Lovegood near Diagon Alley. But that wasn't what happened. Mrs. Weasley started screaming at Ron, who screamed right back. Ginny and George snuck out of the drawing room to avoid the argument, and everyone else got really quiet, avoiding looking at Mrs. Weasley, which meant that Hermione had been the main focus of attention in the room. Hermione had made a number of attempts to escape, but Mrs. Weasley kept snatching her away from the door. By the end of the ordeal, Mrs. Weasley was sobbing hoarsely into her husbands shoulder, Hermione had managed to flee outside (luckily, before her sobs had been noticeable) and Ron had stormed upstairs, red patches springing up all over his face and neck from yelling.

"Are you...are you all right?"

Hermione blinked, realizing that she had been staring at Charlie while she relived the horrific scene in her mind. Hermione just shrugged and turned to finish what she had been doing. She had barely started when suddenly, the corncobs were peeled, broken in half and plopped into a pot full of water and the rubbish was swept magically into the rubbish bin. Hermione blinked slowly as the cob she was holding wriggled out of her grasp, peeled itself, broke in two and dropped into the pot with the rest of the cobs. She continued to stare at her fingers until Charlie grasped her shoulders gently and turned her around. She tried to smile at him, but didn't think she managed it. "Why'd you do that?" she asked.

"You didn't answer my question."

Hermione's throat suddenly went dry and she dropped her gaze. "I-I'm fine."

"No you're not," Charlie sighed, leaning against the counter next to Hermione. Their shoulders brushed. "Of course you're not. You're being forced to endure an entire day with someone that you probably never want to see again. And his family."

Hermione didn't know what to say. So she shrugged again.

Charlie shifted next to her and she raised her eyes to him. He was the least like Ron in the family. Well, maybe except for Bill, who still hadn't abandoned his bad-boy look. Charlie, though, he was short, not much taller than Hermione, actually. And he wasn't thin and lanky, like Ron was. If anything, his arms and legs were shorter than they ought to be, and his body was definitely more muscular that Ron's. Definitely. His hair was cropped short - unlike Ron's, who, in the past few years, had allowed his hair to grow long and wild from lack of care. Hermione suspected he was trying to channel his inner Bill.

A stab of pain shot through Hermione as she thought about Ron and she quickly averted her eyes. She really wished she didn't have to be here today. If she could have, she would have just invited Harry over for dinner sometime to celebrate, but he was such a busy man that that was unlikely to be until October.

A hand touched her shoulder and Hermione tensed. Charlie squeezed her shoulder gently and she raised her eyes back up to his. He stared at her unblinkingly like he was trying to tell her something without saying it, but she really hadn't the foggiest what it was.

Before she could make her voice work to ask him what exactly that was, he smiled softly and inclined his head slightly before dropping his hand and leaving the kitchen. Hermione continued to stare at the spot where he had disappeared around the corner, confusion rippling through her, almost overpowering the sorrow that being around anything that reminded her of Ron brought up.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

Hermione had been correct when she assumed that her week was going to be incredibly stressful. By the time Friday came, she was definitely ready for the weekend, but not at all looking forward to the coffee date, or whatever it was, that Ernie had persuaded her to go on. She was still upset with the Weasley encounter on Tuesday, and she really just wanted to go home and curl up with Crookshanks, a good book and a bottle of wine. But she couldn't reschedule. Kingsley hadn't talked to her about what was going on with her department since the beginning of the week, but that didn't mean she could gamble with the precious time she had left.

But that being said, she didn't leave until she absolutely had to. They had decided on 2:00 for the meeting, on Hermione's suggestion, seems as she considered it a business meeting, and she didn't start to gather her things up until 1:58. It was at that point that Berkley MacKenzie opened her office door without bothering to knock. Hermione had to force herself not to scowl.

The blond was one of the people she had inherited from the merger of her department and another that had dealt with the trials of alleged Death Eaters a few months back, and Hermione couldn't say that she liked her much. MacKenzie was a brilliant lawyer, which was why Hermione couldn't justify laying her off, but personally, the woman was arrogant and a Purebloodist, though she hid it well. Hermione had only caught a few whiffs of her true views, but it had been enough to destroy the woman in Hermione's mind forever. Though she couldn't fire her for it. It wasn't exactly en vogue to proclaim your blood status to the world nowadays.

"What is it?" Hermione asked impatiently, pulling her still unopened copy of the Daily Prophet off of her desk and twisting it beneath her fingers. Part of her wanted to open the paper and ignore MacKenzie, but she couldn't bring herself to be that rude.

"Well, we're not exactly busy today so I was wondering if I might go home early."

Hermione, who had been staring at the paper as if hoping it would unfurl itself, looked up sharply. MacKenzie was dressed to the nines, which, now that she thought about it, she had noticed when Berkley came in that morning. "Hot date?"

MacKenzie flushed, which was response enough for Hermione. She was very much tempted to tell MacKenzie that she had to stay, but in the end, her logic won out over her emotions - if MacKenzie was gone for the day, it would be two _and a hal_f days before Hermione would have to deal with her again. "Fine."

MacKenzie didn't move, and Hermione wondered if she had heard her. Hermione looked up at her and waved stiffly. MacKenzie blinked and opened her mouth in surprise. "Oh, er...thanks."

The woman fled towards the lift immediately, though Hermione caught up with her again after she had gathered her things for the meeting with Ernie. MacKenzie didn't look impressed that she had to share the lift with Hermione, and Hermione couldn't say that she felt any different.

By the time Hermione had pushed her way through the heavy London foot-traffic and navigated her way according to the scribbled directions Ernie had given her earlier that week, Hermione was not only nearly twenty minutes late, but in a very foul mood. She had nearly been trampled by a man almost as large as Hagrid and she had been bumped and jostled so much that she was certain she would hardly be able to move the next day for pain in her shoulders. But Ernie was a complete gentleman and except for the odd pompous comment, Hermione couldn't help but admit that she enjoyed talking to him.

Hermione was on her second cup of chai tea when he brought out the folder with all of her research. Hermione sat up a little straighter and studied him expectantly. His expression wasn't promising.

"I do want to help you with this, Hermione, but…at this point in time I just feel that my efforts – _our_ efforts – might be better suited elsewhere."

A sinking feeling appeared in Hermione's gut. "You mean with fighting the Purebloods."

"Well, yes. I know it's not what you want to hear. But you know as well as I do that Shacklebolt's right hand people are one-hundred percent against Purebloodism. Most of the Wizarding community is, after the war. But, well, I just don't think we – as a community – are ready for this."

He slid the folder towards Hermione, who just looked at it.

"Listen, why don't you keep that handy, and in the mean time, focus your efforts on making sure that last bill of yours actually goes into action? You must know as well as I do that scum like Lucius Malfoy aren't going to accept it easily, even with the Minister's stamp of approval."

Hermione nodded absently. She wanted to do what Ernie suggested, she really did. But she had already gotten that bill passed, and she didn't know how much longer she was going to have at the Ministry to get the S.P.E.W. bill passed. And she really wanted to get it passed. She had spent so much of her time – mostly all at home, seems as she technically wasn't in the proper department for this kind of bill - with preparing her fight…it had taken her the better part of the year to get where she was today with it. And while it might be easier to continue her fight against the Purebloods, she just didn't feel that her time was best spent there any longer. "I wish I could."

She didn't realize that she had voiced her thoughts out loud until Ernie cast a confused look in her direction. "Why couldn't you? Isn't it your job to do this kind of thing?"

"No. That would fall under Wizengamot or Improper Use of Magic Office. I'm at the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects." Quietly, she added, "For now."

"What do you mean, 'for now'?"

"What?"

"You just said 'I'm at the Office for the Detection of Counterfeit Defensive Spells…for now.'"

"Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects." She corrected.

He ignored her. "Are you transferring?"

Hermione jerked her head non-committaly and took a long draught of her tea, but Ernie didn't let it go so easily. "You're not leaving the Ministry?"

"I don't know, Ernie." Hermione snapped. She instantly regretted it and stared into her tea dregs. "My department is on the short list for being 'redistributed'."

"Redistributed?" Ernie repeated slowly.

"The Minister's word, not mine." Hermione said wearily, rubbing her forehead. She could feel the niggling of a headache coming on.

They fell to silence again, Hermione swirling the dregs of her tea in a way that, strangely enough, reminded her of her old Divination professor. She sat her cup down quickly as soon as she thought of Trelawney and glared at the cup as if it had offended her.

"Have you thought of transferring?" Ernie asked suddenly.

Hermione shrugged. "Where would I go? The Department of Magical Games and Sports? They're the only ones who can afford to take anyone else on right now."

"But…you're Hermione Granger. Anyone would be lucky to have you."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"They would! You're the most intelligent person I know. You're dedicated, and from what I've seen with this Elf-rights thing…"

"_Non-human_." Hermione corrected.

Ernie, again, ignored her. "…you like to see projects through to the end. You're resourceful…not to mention the fact that you're one of the kindest, most compassionate people I've ever met."

Hermione's eyes were suddenly wet. She avoided looking at him and shook her head. Thankfully, Ernie didn't seem to notice.

When she didn't respond he asked, "Have you tried the Department of International Magical Cooperation?"

"They're going through similar cutbacks."

"Magical Accidents and Catastrophes?"

"Ugh, and fix splinchers? No thank you."

"What about-?"

"_No_, Ernie."

Ernie didn't offer up any more suggestions. He just inclined his head slightly and became very interested in the tea he had ordered. Hermione couldn't bring herself to feel bad about being difficult. It was her life, after all.

The date - was it a date? Hermione still wasn't sure - went downhill from there. Their conversation, which had been so easy before, became tense and difficult. Hermione wasn't sure why Ernie had taken such offense about her not wanting his help, but she was certainly glad when they parted ways.

And she was even more glad when she finally made it home that night. She was really looking forward to curling up with Crookshanks and a good book. She had been eyeing up her Jane Austen collection for months, but just hadn't had the time to actually start anything yet. Well, that was going to change. Especially because she thought she remembered Luna mentioning that she was going out with Ginny. It would just be Hermione and a glass of red wine. Exactly the company she was looking forward to.

She fantasized about her evening the entire walk from the closest designated apparition point to her flat. It wasn't a long walk, but it allowed her enough time to deduce exactly which book she was going to read – she argued with herself for half the walk about whether she should pull out Pride and Prejudice or Mansfield Park – and which bottle of wine she was going to crack.

When she pushed the door to the flat open she barely noticed the smell wafting from the kitchen. Until she realized that it was a _normal_ smell, and not the smell of one of Luna's experiments-gone-bad. She didn't hardly dare peek into the kitchen.

And when she did, she wished she hadn't – Luna had company.

Hermione tried to duck out of the doorway before either woman noticed her, but she wasn't so lucky. Ginny noticed her immediately – she was facing the door. Her face split into a grin and she nearly lunged at Hermione, grabbing her arm and dragging her into the kitchen. Hermione's insides had suddenly twisted themselves into knots – she hadn't seen Ginny since Harry's birthday.

"There you are!" Ginny grinned, pushing Hermione into a stool. "We were wondering where you were!"

Hermione glanced at Luna. She had told the blond where she was going after work. But Luna was staring absently at a spot on the wall, she wasn't going to get a clue from her. "Er…I…work stuff."

"Work stuff?" Ginny asked teasingly, her eyes glinting knowingly, "That's not what I hear…How's Ernie?"

Hermione felt her entire face go red and she thinned her lips. "Just fine." She said shortly. "We were discussing the new bill I'm working on."

"Oh yeah? I heard he was pretty persistent."

"How can you have heard anything? I only just got back from seeing him! Merlin's beard, Ginny, since when are you such a gossip?"

Hermione stood up quickly and pushed passed Ginny. Luna blinked then and said, just as Hermione was leaving the kitchen in a huff, "I made a casserole."

"No thanks." Hermione had had enough experience with Luna's cooking.

"It's really good!" Ginny insisted as she followed Hermione down the narrow hallway. "It almost rivals mums!"

Hermione seriously doubted that and continued down the hallway. She pushed into her room and tried to slam the door, but the rubbish littering the floor made it difficult. So she leaned against it while she pulled an arm out of her suit. She felt someone push against it, and then a foot protrude through the gap. "Hermione, let me in."

"I'm changing."

"So?" Ginny demanded, putting a little more pressure on the door. The pressure only lasted a few moments before it disappeared and she asked, "Are you cross with me?"

Hermione very much wanted to say yes, but knew that she couldn't. She wasn't cross with Ginny. She was just cross period. "No." She pushed her arm back through her suit and allowed Ginny to push the door open. "I'm not cross with you."

Ginny stepped into the room, trying in vain to step around the crumpled up bits of paper, dirty clothes, gum wrappers and other such rubbish. "Merlin, Hermione, this is worse than my place!"

Hermione turned and looked around her room. "Yeah, well...I haven't felt like cleaning for a while."

"You mean since Ron left."

Hermione scowled and glanced at Ginny over her shoulder. "Such tact you have, Ginevra."

Hermione straightened and stared at the multiple mounds scattered across the floor, missing the sarcastic smirk she earned from Ginny. "It's a family trait."

The comment didn't help Hermione's foul mood. She cast a glare over her shoulder before bending down to attempt to sift through the piles to find her pajama's. She thought she caught a glimpse of the pink flannel of her pajama bottoms in one, but when she tugged it out, it turned out to be a red turtleneck that she had somehow managed to shrink in the wash even with protective charms.

"Hey Hermione," Ginny said slowly, "if you're not cross with me, what's put you in a bad mood?"

Hermione didn't reply immediately. She didn't want to reply at all. But, sighing and leaning against her bed, she began to reiterate her week with as little details as possible. Ginny thankfully did not interrupt her, but her eyebrows did manage to nearly disappear into her hairline by the time Hermione had finished.

"And I thought I had a bad week." Ginny muttered, shaking her head, once Hermione had finished.

"What happened to you?" Hermione asked, eager to get the conversation away from her.

"Just family drama." Ginny said vaguely. "Which is why Luna and I are going out tonight. You should come!"

Hermione shook her head. "No thanks."

"Oh, c'mon, 'Mione! It'll be fun!"

Hermione raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"It will! I promise! Besides...I want you to meet someone."

Alarm bells went off in Hermione's mind and she raised her hands in front of her. "Ohhh no. No way, Ginny. You are not setting me up with some guy you met at a club."

"What? Don't be ridiculous, I'm not setting you up with anyone!" Ginny exclaimed, laughing almost nervously.

Hermione's eyebrows raised further. "Ginny..." she said warningly.

"I promise!"

"Then who is it I'm supposed to be meeting?"

"I..." Ginny's cheeks darkened suddenly and she muttered, "someone I'm seeing."

"Someone you're seeing." Hermione repeated, to which Ginny nodded. "You're seeing someone?"

"Yes."

"Actually seeing someone."

"Yes. Is that so hard to believe?"

Hermione gave her a look.

"Okay, so maybe it is." Ginny conceded, "But I really like him, Hermione. I thought I'd hate him till the end of time, but he's really changed since Hogwarts and..." Ginny's eyes suddenly widened and she covered her mouth.

"He's from Hogwarts? So I already know him?"

Ginny winced and nodded slowly.

"What year was he in?"

Ginny grinned suddenly, her embarrassment suddenly disappearing. "You'll have to come to the club and see."

So, instead of being curled up on the sofa at eleven o'clock with Crookshanks and her book, Hermione was following Ginny into a Muggle club, trying not to trip and fall over the heels that Ginny had thrust upon her. "I don't think these shoes were a good idea..." Hermione muttered for the tenth time.

"Stop fussing."

"But if I break my ankle-"

"You won't. Stop fussing."

"But-"

"Don't make me regret bringing you."

"What a shame that would be."

Ginny made a face at Hermione as she made a bee-line for the bar to order drinks. Hermione stopped not far from where she left with Luna right beside her. "Well," Luna chirped sincerely, "this is fun!"

Hermione stared at her flatmate incredulously. They hadn't done anything yet!

"Drinks!" Ginny proclaimed a few minutes later, shoving a pink concoction into Hermione's hand.

"How'd you get back so quickly? There's got to be fifty people up there."

Ginny shrugged and said vaguely, "I'm just that good. C'mon, let's dance!"

"I can't dance with a drink!"

But Ginny wasn't listening, she downed her drink in one gulp, slid the glass onto a nearby table, grabbed Hermione's hand and raced out onto the dance floor, screaming along to whatever-it-was that the DJ was playing.

Ginny was quickly distracted by all the men that surrounded them, so Hermione was able to detach herself from the red head and sneak off to a table with Luna, who was no more interested in dancing than Hermione was at this point. "Ginny's enjoying herself."

_That's an understatement_. Ginny was more than enjoying herself. It would be a miracle if she didn't have half a dozen phone numbers already.

"Oh, look!" Luna exclaimed after about half an hour, "There's Harry!"

"What?" Hermione yelped, spinning around in her chair. And sure enough, standing about four feet away in the sea of people, was Harry Potter. He was staring at Ginny with what was unmistakably jealousy. "Oh, this could be bad. Luna, watch my drink, will you?"

Hermione stood quickly and pushed her way through the crowd to where Harry was standing, transfixed. "Harry. Harry!"

Harry jumped as Hermione prod him in the back and turned quickly, banging into a blond woman, causing her to spill her drink down her front. "Wanker!"

"Sorry," Harry mumbled to the woman before looking at Hermione. "Hermione? What're you doing here?"

"Ginny brought me out. You?"

"Er...just thought I'd come dancing."

"Since when do you like dancing?"

"New hobby."

Harry was avoiding her gaze, which told Hermione one thing - he was lying. Hermione raised her eyebrows up at him, but he didn't notice because he was watching Ginny out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, stop it, Harry. _You_ broke it off with _her_, remember?"

"What?"

"Ginny, Harry. The woman you're staring at. She can dance with whomever she wants to."

Harry's brow furrowed and he glanced behind her. His eyes narrowed again and Hermione had to force herself not to look back at Ginny and whoever she was dancing with. Instead, she grabbed his sleeve and tugged him away from the dance floor, back to where she had left Luna, who was standing next to the table revolving slowly on the spot. "Hello, Harry," she said as she revolved passed them.

"Er...hi Luna. How d'you like living with Hermione?"

Luna looked down at Harry with a smile. "Oh, its lovely. She's a bit messy, but I suspect that has to do with her missing Ron."

Hermione gritted her teeth as the familiar twisting of her insides ensued at the mention of his name. "I don't miss him."

Luna looked at Hermione in surprise. "Why would you say something like that? Of course you do!"

Hermione shook her head. "He's a lousy git and I'm better off."

Luna cocked her head at Hermione and asked, "Is that why you're always locked up in your room?"

Hermione felt heat rise up her neck and just as she was about to snap a retort back at Luna, Harry cleared his throat. Hermione realized he was staring at the table. "So!" He exclaimed. "How 'bout those Harpies, eh? Quite a season they're having!"

Luna and Hermione both looked at him in surprise - he knew neither of them followed Quidditch, but even so, Hermione was grateful for the subject change. Even though she had a feeling that he hadn't changed it on her behalf - he looked rather uncomfortable.

"Are they?" Luna asked. "Is Gwennog Jones still the Captain?"

"Yeah, but she's out on injury. Ciara Bush has taken up Gwennog's Chaser position while Gwennog is healing."

"Oh...did a Wrakspurt get at her?"

"Er...no, someone knocked her off her broom."

Hermione tuned out as soon as Luna mentioned Wrakspurts. After years of friendship with Luna, it still bothered Hermione that Luna believed in such preposterous creatures. She looked over Harry's head and watched the dancers throbbing under the strobe lights. Ginny seemed to have disappeared, whether further into the crowd or off to some private corner with a random stranger, Hermione didn't know, nor quite frankly, did she care.

Despite that, a flash of red hair caught Hermione's attention. Upon closer inspection, Hermione realized that it was not Ginny, thought it looked an awful lot like...

"Hermione!"

A hand grasped Hermione's upper arm from behind her and spun her around before she could confirm her suspicions, Ginny was right in her face, beaming and out of breath. "There's someone who wants to see you!"

"What?" Hermione blinked at the red head, who looked thrilled, but nervous, and then she remembered. "Oh!"

Ginny turned to grin at Luna, but instead caught sight of Harry. Her face froze and she suddenly grew somber. Harry's face was impassive as he suddenly grew very interested in his drink.

The air grew thick and uncomfortable and Hermione shifted uncomfortably, not happy with being seated between the pair. She cleared her throat awkwardly and asked, "So...er where is this person?"

Ginny's attention snapped back to Hermione and her stiffness disappeared. Ginny grinned widely and she dragged Hermione out of her chair. Ginny was beyond excited and Hermione found herself suddenly wondering if she didn't want to meet Ginny's new fling.

Ginny dragged Hermione all the way across the club, not bothering to skirt the dance floor. Hermione was starting to wonder if Ginny was just pulling her leg when they stopped next to a shadowy booth and she was shoved onto a bench. Hermione didn't get a chance to register exactly who it was that was sitting across from her before Ginny slid in next to him, sitting so close she was practically in his lap. She gaped at the red head, and then the blond next to her, not believing her eyes. Never in Hermione's wildest dreams would Hermione have thought Ginny's supposed new beau would have been Draco bloody Malfoy.


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4

Hermione gaped at the pair of them, or rather, at Ginny, though as she was nearly sitting on Malfoy, it was inevitable that Hermione got an eyeful of Malfoy as well. Ginny had wrapped an arm around Malfoy's neck, smiling at Hermione, who was starting to think that it was all just a bad joke. Except that Malfoy's smirk and the look on Ginny's face were all to genuine...

"You'll be glad you didn't come over there. Harry was there." Ginny told him in a voice that only worked to confirm her previous thoughts.

_Well_, Hermione reasoned, _maybe they're not dating. It wouldn't be the first time Ginny's just been in for some fun._

"Potter?" Malfoy sneered. "Slide out."

Ginny cocked her head to the side and fixed him with a look that Hermione couldn't see.

"Go on!" the blond insisted, "I'd be more than happy to hex him."

Hermione crossed her arms and glared at Malfoy, "This is a Muggle establishment, Malfoy."

Malfoy looked up at Hermione and smirked, but didn't make a smart-ass reply as she expected. Ginny began chewing her lip nervously and jiggling her leg beneath the table, her eyes darting between Hermione and Malfoy. Hermione suddenly felt guilty - even if all Ginny was doing was shagging Malfoy (which Hermione couldn't believe she was hoping for), the red head obviously wanted Hermione's approval. She should at least try to play nice.

Sighing, Hermione crossed her legs and fought the glare that begged to be thrown at Malfoy. She thought she should perhaps say something, but she didn't dare - she couldn't promise that the words would be civil.

The trio remained mute for a considerably lengthy time and Hermione had taken to watching the dancers again when Ginny finally said, "Hermione, Draco's a scholar, did you know? He's currently working on...er, something very cool."

Hermione's gaze shot back to the pair just in time to notice the look Malfoy had shot at Ginny when she had been about to spill his secret. "Really." Hermione said dully, not fully believing that Draco Malfoy of all people was an academic. She glanced back at the dancers. She could have sworn she had just seen Berkley MacKenzie...

"Yeah, he studied for a year after Hogwarts in Italy and-"

"Wait. _You_ studied at the Istituto Magico Italiano?" Hermione asked incredulously. Istituto Magico Italiano was the most prestigious Wizarding University in the entire world and for her entire Hogwarts career, Hermione had dreamed about the gorgeous Italian campus, hidden away on an island off the main coast of the Sicily, and up until she had gone with Harry to find the Horcruxes, she had fully believed that she would move there after graduating from Hogwarts. But then she realized that she couldn't go off to Italy while the United Kingdom was in chaos. So she had gotten into law, and she hasn't looked back. Well, at least, she hadn't until her life had taken a turn for the worst.

"Yeah," Draco told her smoothly. "Under Benito Raphael."

"_Raphael_!" Hermione yelped.

Draco smirked and leaned against the back rest, oozing smugness. "That's right."

Hermione gaped at the blond across from her. If Istituto Magico Italiano was the most prestigious Wizarding University in the world, then Benito Raphael was the most prestigious Professor. He had published hundreds of papers, dozens of books, and it was rumored that he had been one of Albus Dumbledore's closest confidants. Raphael's classes were the most difficult to get in to - and out of the thousand students, only a handful were accepted to study under him. But...Malfoy? Study under Raphael? It was an absolutely absurd thought. He had never shown any interest in academics at Hogwarts, and Raphael only accepted the best. _He does have a lot of money…_ a little voice in the back of Hermione's head reminded her. But Raphael wouldn't have been bribed! An academic like that could not have been bribed!

Hermione realized that she was staring at Malfoy, and that both he and Ginny were probably expecting her to say something. Or at least, Ginny was. To say that Malfoy looked amused would have been an understatement. "Wow." Hermione muttered, unsure of whether to continue feeling disbelief, or jealously.

Ginny started chewing her lip again, so Hermione shifted towards her and asked, "I'm going to get a drink. D'you want...?"

"I'll get it!" Ginny exclaimed eagerly, jumping to her feet. "Your usual?"

"Er...yeah. Thanks."

Ginny hurried off, apparently very glad to get away from the awkwardness that had fixed itself overhead, which annoyed Hermione. Malfoy was _her_ boyfriend...or fling...or _whatever -_ why should Hermione have to sit with him?

Hermione cast a glance over at Malfoy, who was still staring at her. His glance didn't look amused anymore though. More inquisitive and...well Hermione wasn't sure exactly what the look was. But she didn't like it.

"So," Hermione started, hoping to distract him, "how did you like Italy?"

Malfoy's gaze shifted slightly and the unidentifiable look disappeared. He was staring at the bench just behind her head and shifted his body so that he was sitting in the corner with his arm draped across the back. "It's a nice country."

A thought occurred to Hermione that made her feel obtuse. "Oh. I suppose it wouldn't have been new for you." Malfoy glanced up at her with his eyebrows raised. "You have a villa there, don't you?"

"No." Malfoy said his voice suddenly hollow, "That's the Zabini's. Ours was in France."

"Oh." _Big bloody difference_. And then she realized what he had said. He had said _was_, not _is_. Of course Hermione had known that the Malfoy's had had to pay huge reparations for the war crimes they had committed, but she hadn't even considered that they would have to sell their villa.

Hermione fell silent, intent on keeping that way until Ginny returned and Hermione could excuse herself. She began tapping on the table impatiently as she stared toward where she thought the bar was, but through the crowd and the throbbing lights it was hard to distinguish anything at all.

"You're still a Granger, then?" Malfoy asked suddenly. Hermione turned toward him and realized he was staring at her ring finger, which was naked.

Hermione swallowed hard and tried to make her voice stay in its normal octave, "Sorry?"

"I just thought you'd've had half a dozen little Weasle's running around by now."

Hermione's gaze fell to the table and she struggled to keep her chin from wobbling, but didn't succeed in keeping her voice sounding normal. "I...so did I."

"Oh." Hermione was surprised to hear pity and concern in Malfoy's voice.

"We were engaged." Hermione told him, as if that little fact was important with the current situation. "The wedding was supposed to be in two months. It was nearly paid for. And then..." her voice cracked and she wasn't sure she could continue, and then wondered why on earth she was saying anything at all. And to Malfoy!

"And then?" he prompted, surprising her by sounding eager.

Hermione swallowed hard and wished Ginny would hurry back with the drinks. She raised her chin and tried to speak with as little emotion as possible. Not that she was very successful. "And he broke it off."

"Shit." Malfoy repeated, pity now unmistakable in his voice, "I'm sorry, Granger."

Hermione almost laughed, but between the ache in her chest and her uncomfortableness, all that came out was a strangled sort of yelp. She shook her head, "Since when?"

"Sorry?"

"Since when do you say, 'I'm sorry'? Especially to a _Mudblood_?" She asked bitterly.

Malfoy frowned. "People change. I thought you'd know that, given your profession."

"I put the bad guys away, not let them out." _Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin._

"And I used to be one of them. But I've changed."

"Forgive me if I'm unconvinced."

"Ginny seems to have seen the good in me." He pointed out.

"Wouldn't count on it."

"Oh?"

Hermione almost rolled her eyes, but they were still wet with unshed tears and she wasn't sure she could manage it. "Let's face it, _Draco_, she's not with you because of your charming personality."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked heatedly.

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him in disbelief, "I'm surprised they let someone so thick into Istituto Magico Italiano. She's with you because you're Harry Potter's rival. Hate to burst your bubble, but you're a tool she's using to dig at Harry with."

"Funny she hasn't told him then."

"Why do you think she brought me here?"

Malfoy sat forward and leaned his arms on the table top, surveying Hermione closely. "Well, if I am a tool, I'm a tool. I have no problem with that." He smirked suddenly and resumed his former position. "She's a damn good shag. And as a bonus, I get to piss Potter off."

Hermione wrinkled her nose and did her best to ignore the first part of his sentence. "You owe Harry your life."

Draco shrugged in response and Hermione avoided looking at him, not wanting to see the smirk that was bound to be painted on his face. But she couldn't help but relieving their conversation, despite the pounding beat around them. The bit about Ginny just kept popping into her head. It was just something that Hermione had not needed to know about her friend. But it wasn't even that that really kept her going back to his words, it wasn't his words at all. It was what was implied. The fact that he was so eager to use Ginny to get at Harry. It disgusted her, but really didn't surprise her coming from Malfoy. Actually, it was the only really in-character thing that had come from him that night, besides bashing Harry, of course.

She glanced up at him and immediately wished she hadn't. He was smirking at her from across the table, just as she had predicted. She really would have liked to do something to wipe the smirk off of said face, but Ginny would never forgive her. Or, at least not until she found someone new. She sighed and shook her head. "You haven't changed at all, have you, Malfoy?"

Malfoy crossed his arms over his chest, managing to look smug and offended at the same time. She was really looking forward to his response, wondering if he was going to pull out the Malfoy she knew from Hogwarts or keep up the facade he had been showing to her all night. But before he could respond, Ginny appeared and Draco's expression split into a wide smile. Hermione stared at him. She had never seen Malfoy smile before. "There you are!" He said warmly, "What took you?"

"You wouldn't believe how busy the bar is right now." She said happily. Hermione noticed her drink was already nearly gone. She finished it off and slid the other drinks on the table. "Let's dance."

Ginny barely gave Draco and Hermione time to pick their drinks off of the table before she dragged them out of the booth. She spun around, her hand still clutching Draco's fingers tightly, but froze. Hermione couldn't see the expression on her face, but her entire body went rigid, and the uneasy feeling settled back into Hermione's stomach. She really hoped that Harry wasn't coming over.

Hermione followed the direction of Ginny's gaze just as the redhead spun around and began to talk very quickly. "Actually, I don't like this song. How about we go outside? C'mon Hermione..."

Ginny tried to spin Hermione away from the dance floor, but Hermione was suddenly rooted to the spot, her eyes wide with shock. Right in front of her, in plain sight from the table, was Ronald Weasley. And he wasn't alone.

Hermione couldn't remember what had happened next. She didn't know how she got out of the club, or in what state - though from the wetness of her cheeks, she thought it was probably not a good one. She just knew that she once she had gotten into the cool, fresh air she had run as fast as she could in the heels and had somehow ended up on a vaguely familiar street, but unsure of why it was familiar.

She began to walk down the street, sniffling and rubbing her chilly arms. Ron's face floated to the front of her mind, staring at her in shock as his date pressed up against him. Sorrow welled up inside her, and she felt herself begin to shake as it filled her entire being. Fresh tears began to drip slowly down her cheeks; it felt as though her heart, which had only just started healing, had been torn to pieces all over again.

But then she saw the woman's face, and as suddenly as it had filled her, the sorrow disappeared and she was filled with an entirely different emotion - betrayal. The blond hadn't been surprised to see her at all, if anything, she seemed to be as smug Draco Malfoy had been minutes earlier. "That whore!" She yelled suddenly into the dark street. "She wouldn't even have met him if I hadn't...and he would never...fuckers!"

She stormed down the street, cursing and grumbling louder than she would have under any other circumstances. She stomped across the cobblestones, her eyes wide with anger, not noticing the house she had just passed light up, or the door open tentatively until someone called, "Hermione?"

Hermione shrieked and spun around so fast that one of the heels of Ginny's shoes snapped off and she hit the cobblestones.

The speaker ran out of the house and passed under a street light. Hermione felt suddenly sick. It was Charlie Weasley.

"Are you alright?" He asked hurriedly.

"Fine." Hermione grumbled.

"What are you doing here?" Charlie asked, helping her up.

Hermione didn't answer him immediately. She took her time wiping her hands off on Ginny's jeans - or at least, intended to. She stopped herself quickly - they stung horribly when she rubbed them against the denim.

"No idea." She finally answered.

"Oh. Well...why don't you come in?"

Hermione shook her head, "No thanks."

"You can't go anywhere like that. I insist."

He took her arm and steered her towards his house. She hobbled beside him, glaring first down at the shoes still on her feet, then at Charlie himself. If he hadn't shouted her name she would never have broken her heel and then she wouldn't have to go inside...

Charlie lead her right into the sitting room and pushed her down on the sofa. He raised his eyebrows at her expectantly, but she didn't open her mouth. After two minutes of staring at one another, he sighed and disappeared for a couple of minutes. He appeared again with a cool cloth and pressed it into her hands. She accepted it gratefully and began to dab at her dirty, torn skin.

Charlie let her do this in silence, but she suspected that as soon as her hands were clean he would start badgering her about what she was doing on his street, shouting loud enough to wake the entire neighborhood in the middle of the night. So, naturally, she made sure that every spec of grime was off of her hands before she looked at him.

His expression surprised her. It was thoughtful and he was studying her very closely. It made her uncomfortable.

"Something happened with Ron, didn't it?" He said after a few long minutes.

Anger bubbled up inside of Hermione at the mention of his youngest brother's name. She glared at Charlie and said nothing. He sighed and sat down next to her. "What'd he do this time?"

Hermione scoffed. "Forget it." Like she was going to tell him.

"Did he come to see you?"

Hermione cast another dark look at him. "Do you think I normally dress like this at home?"

Charlie glanced at her attire, he seemed not to have noticed it before, though Hermione knew better. Charlie was the type who took in every inch of a person's - especially a woman's - image before he even opened his mouth.

"You went out with Ginny?" He guessed.

"Gee, what was your first clue?" Hermione asked, kicking off the stilettos.

"And Ron was there...wherever you went. Am I right?"

Hermione scowled. "Quite the Legilimens, aren't you?"

Charlie ignored her. "Was it that that has gotten you so upset? Or something else?"

"I said forget it, Charlie!" Hermione snarled, standing up so quickly that she smashed her knees against the coffee table in front of the sofa.

Hermione bit back a curse but stalked out from behind the table anyway. Charlie moved as if to stop her leaving the room, but she really had no intention of going anywhere. She began pacing the room rather violently, stomping from one side of the room to the other. She didn't speak as she stomped across the floor, but her mind was spinning. Spinning with words she rarely spoke, but very much wanted to scream at Ron and his whore.

_As a bonus, I get to piss Potter off._

The words popped into her head unexpectedly. She stopped mid-stomp and stared ahead of her, toward the fireplace, where she could see a few hot coals still burning from an earlier fire. She stared at them as if flames would suddenly pop our of them and entrance her. But it wasn't the coals that kept her attention. It was what Malfoy had said to her earlier.

Her eyes flicked suddenly away from the coals, to the mirror hanging above the mantel. It seemed out of place in the room, and Hermione had a feeling that Charlie hadn't put it there. Hermione could see Ginny insisting upon it. She could almost hear the younger woman's pleas. "But it's a small room, Charlie, you _need_ something to make it feel bigger." Ginny should really just go into design or something.

But Hermione wasn't concerned about Ginny at the moment. She shook the ginger's face out of her mind and stared into her own reflection. She didn't look the greatest, if she was being perfectly honest. Her hair, which Ginny had insisted upon flattening with Sleekeasy only to curl it again (_They're romantic curls, Hermione. It's sexy. And your hair just doesn't do that on its own._) was looking quite frizzy, her makeup was smudged horribly and her eyes were red from the tears she had shed and bright from her anger. Not the best she had looked in her life.

She glanced over at Charlie, her stomach suddenly squirming. He was watching her warily, and she thought she glimpsed pity in his eyes. The uneasiness in her stomach disappeared almost instantly and was replaced with determination and anger. She would show him that she didn't need his pity.

When he caught her looking at him, his expression changed suddenly. The pity was gone, though he still looked wary. She turned to face him, a hand on her hip. He gave her a once over, for what she figured was at least the third time that evening. There was a shadow of something familiar in his eye. Something that she had never seen from Charlie. Ron used to look at her like that.

It was that thought that set her off. Remembering how Ron used to look at her, how tender he had been, how wonderful he had been. Before she even realized what she was doing, she was kissing Charlie. And he was kissing her back.

Something blossomed within Hermione's chest that felt familiar and foreign all at once. It was warm and pleasant and she wanted nothing more than to keep kissing Charlie so that the feeling wouldn't go away.

And then he stopped kissing her. His hands, which had been gripping her hips, holding her in place, were suddenly on her shoulders, pushing her back.

"Hermione." He didn't say her name tenderly, like she wanted. His voice was almost scolding, as if he had just caught her doing something naughty.

She tried to ignore the tone of his voice. She leaned forward, searching for his lips again. They brushed briefly, but Charlie stepped away and looked away from her quickly.

"We can't." His voice was strained, almost pained now.

"Why not?" Hermione asked impatiently, though she already knew the answer.

He looked back at her. She could see the want in his eyes. "You should go home."

"Because of _him_?" She asked, spitting out the pronoun like it was acid.

"He's my brother."

"So what?" she exclaimed, and then quieter, almost a whisper, she reached out to him. "Charlie…"

He stepped away from her, shaking his head.

"You want this as much as I do." Hermione pointed out.

He looked at her disdainfully. "You just want to get back at Ron. Who just happens to my brother. My family. There is nothing stronger than that."

Hermione nodded slowly and stepped away from him. She didn't say anything as she spun on the spot, her messy bedroom clear in her minds eye and disapparated. She wasn't sure she had ever been happier to leave someone's house.


	5. Chapter 5

_(A/N: Sorry it took me so long to upload this one! I hope the enormous length of it will make up for my long absence.)_

Part 5

Unfortunately, Hermione's apparition didn't go as smoothly as her disapparation. Or, rather, her landing didn't go smoothly. She landed awkwardly on a mound of dirty laundry, and after teetering precariously for a few painful moments, she collapsed backwards into a smaller heap of clothing and shoes.

Grumbling, she picked herself up and kicked at the clothes, scattering the pile towards her empty closet. She really did need to do laundry.

She stood in the middle of her room, glaring at the mess, the very fresh feelings of betrayal and rejection fresh on her mind. Her breathing began to increase as, for the second time that evening, her mind began to whir with the events of the day. Ernie and his ridiculousness; his rejection of her proposal; Malfoy and Ginny, the cutsie couple; Charlie's rejection; and Ron…Ron's ultimate betrayal. Tears pricked at her eyes, but instead of a sob, an angry roar escaped her chest and she began to hurl things at her wall. Clothes, mostly. But anything that was in reach. She screamed and cursed as she hurled her possessions, creating an even larger mound of mess. She was so loud that she didn't hear the voices just outside of her door, or the soft knock.

"Her…mione?"

Hermione whirled around mid-throw, and ended up heaving a pair of jeans at Ginny's head. She withdrew her head in time for the jeans to miss her, but when she stuck her head back into her room, she wasn't looking very impressed.

"That was not necessary." She grumbled as she stepped into the room.

Hermione huffed. "Sorry."

Ginny looked around the room, at the dint in the pile of clothes around Hermione, and the larger pile across the room. "Anger issues, much?"

"Shut your face." Hermione growled.

Ginny's eyes widened and she raised her hands up in front of her, backing slowly out of the room. She closed the door quietly and Hermione instantly felt awful. "Nice going, Hermione." She grumbled, tearing Ginny's shirt off and replacing it with a much more comfortable, very baggy, t-shirt that she had unburied. She dug around for a suitable pair of pajama pants, which took her a surprisingly short time, and after pulling her hair into a messy ponytail, proceeded into the kitchen, where Ginny was sitting with Luna and Harry. Three pairs of eyes turned to her as she entered the kitchen. She stopped just inside of the door, and sighed. "I'm sorry." She said quickly.

Ginny shrugged, the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Don't worry about it."

Hermione shook her head and advanced into the kitchen. "I didn't mean to throw the jeans at you."

Harry snorted his amusement at the comment. Ginny shot a glare at him. "Don't worry about it." Ginny repeated, still glaring at Harry.

"Where did you go?" Luna asked, "You were gone a long time."

Hermione glanced at the clock on the wall above the island they were sitting at. It was four am. Merlin, she had been gone a long time. It can't have been two when she left the club.

"Uhm." Hermione said, her eyes darting to the floor, "I don't know, really. I just kind of…went."

Harry and Ginny nodded, but Luna just continued to stare at her with that inquisitive gaze of hers. Hermione had a feeling that Luna knew that she wasn't telling the whole truth. Luna yawned suddenly, stretched, and announced she was going to bed. She disappeared from the kitchen and Hermione considered taking her stool, but the air in the kitchen was so tense and awkward she didn't think she could stand it.

"So, uhm…I think I'll go to bed too." Hermione said after a few minutes of awkward silence. She started to retreat, but her need to be a good hostess stopped her."Feel free to stay the night, you two...you know where the blankets and pillows are?" Ginny nodded, Harry stood up.

"I think I'll go home." He announced. He left quickly, probably with as much relief as was showing on Ginny's face.

"You don't mind if I stay?" She asked.

Hermione shook her head. "You can borrow some of my pajama's if you'd like."

Ginny smirked, "And risk getting them thrown at me? No thanks. No, but really, I'm fine. Go to bed."

Hermione didn't need to be told twice. She was honestly exhausted. It had been an emotional week. She was about to push open her bedroom door when she heard a crash inside Luna's bedroom. She hesitated before turning around, and then knocked gently on the door. "Luna? Is everything okay?"

She opened the door a crack, and saw a smashed vase sitting at Luna's feet. She hadn't seemed to notice, but was swatting at something above her head. Hermione shook her head and started to close the door when she noticed a very strange looking something hanging from the roof.

She took a step forward into the dark room and stared at the object warily. Whatever it was, it was bound to be strange, coming from Luna, but whether or not it was safe was another thing completely.

"Luna…what is that?"

Luna continued swatting at the air and answered, "Dirigible plums."

"Dirigi…why are they hanging from your roof?"

"They're drying."

Hermione shook her head. She really didn't want to know.

She turned back to the door, and noticed that Luna's room was looking more cluttered than usual. She didn't usually go into the blond's room, but last time she was there, it was spotless. Now there was parchment scattered across her desk and floor, boxes stacked in the corners and packing peanuts scattered across the floor. Hermione shook her head again, backing out of the room. She really didn't want to know.

Monday morning came far too quickly for Hermione's liking. She hardly got out of bed the entire weekend, despite Ginny's begging, and her body did not want to have to Monday either. Not even her mind could think of an actual reason that she should go to work that day. The bill she had spent the past year of her life working on was not going to go through, she could very well be two weeks away from unemployment, she would have to see Berkley, and possibly Ron. Where was the positive in that?

But she forced herself to get up. She knew that there wasn't going to be very much for her to do that day that day, but she forced herself to go anyway. Hermione just wasn't sure if she could live with herself if she played hooky.

When she arrived at the Ministry she was twenty minutes late, which was absolutely unheard of for her. Beth looked very concerned when she walked into the office, but Hermione was thankful that she didn't say anything.

At least not until Hermione had settled into her desk with the morning Prophet.

The soft knock came just as she had cracked open the paper and Hermione looked up in time to see Beth poke her head in. "Is everything…?"

"My alarm didn't go off." Hermione fibbed quickly. Beth nodded and ducked back out to her desk. In busier times, Beth would have a stack of papers for Hermione to go through, but Beth hadn't had anything for Hermione for weeks.

Which is why Hermione read the paper for the majority of the morning. She read every article, which she never did, and she even did the suduko puzzle at the end. And then the crossword. Normally she would have been working on her Non-Human Rights bill, but she didn't see much point in that anymore.

By the time she was finished with the paper, it was eleven o'clock. It wasn't quite late enough in the morning to take an early lunch, but she literally had nothing else to do. So she just sat and stared at the clock on her wall, occasionally jotting a few to-do notes down on a pad for later that evening. She really hoped there was something to do after lunch. If the whole day was going to be like this, she was going to go mad.

She stared long and hard at the clock, wishing that time would speed up, but it never did. If anything, it went slower, which of course, was expected. She didn't really expect time to speed up while she was staring at the clock. But that didn't mean she didn't wish it would.

It took her only ten minutes to start wondering who she could go and visit without disturbing too much. Harry would always welcome her, but there was the chance that she might run into Ron. Neville would be glad to see her as well, but he worked just across a desk from Ron, so that was out. She wanted nothing to do with Ernie for at least a few days. She drummed her fingers on the wooden arm rest of her chair. Who else hadn't she seen for ages that she would be willing to go and talk to?

Draco Malfoy's face floated in front of her minds eyes and Hermione immediately scowled at herself. Like she wanted to see Malfoy within such a short time frame. She chewed her lip, wondering who else would be a good idea, when a knock came at the door.

Hermione jumped and stood up quickly. "Er. Come in." She said in an unnaturally high-pitched voice.

The door cracked open and very unexpectedly, Charlie Weasley's face appeared there. Hermione stared at him and he smiled awkwardly. He stepped into the office quickly and closed the door behind him.

"Hi." He said.

"Hi." Hermione echoed dully, suddenly becoming very interested in the newspaper again.

She stared at the front of the paper, picking at the turned-up corner and out of the corner of her eye she saw Charlie glance at the door behind him, look at her and then rub the back of his neck uncomfortably.

Hermione glanced up at him between her eyelashes, wondering what on earth he was doing at the Ministry. And in her office, of all places. He couldn't have thought he would be very welcome after the last time they had seen one another, could he?

She scowled, tilted her chin and crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you want, Charlie?"

"Uhm." He looked too surprised to have to come up with a response. Or maybe it was that she was addressing him. "I was just wondering if...you were free for lunch?"

"It's only eleven."

"I can wait." He said quickly.

"Why?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Wh-why?" He asked slowly.

"Why do you think I would want to have lunch with you?" She clarified softly.

"I-" He frowned, pushed his hand through his hair and advanced to her desk. "The other night...Hermione...Merlin." He pushed his hand through his hair again, leaving a large puff of frizzy hair in its wake. "It wasn't the right time."

Hermione didn't say anything. She didn't trust herself to. She very much wanted to yell and storm at him until he left. But she didn't. Ginny would have. But Hermione didn't. She bit her tongue and dug her fingernails into the palm of her hand while avoiding his gaze.

Charlie stepped forward again and Hermione thought he might reach out to her, but he didn't. She wasn't sure how she would feel about that anyway.

"It's not that I don't -"

"Charlie." She interrupted, looking at him suddenly very stern. "This is my place of work. There are enough personal issues here without you finishing that sentence."

Charlie closed his mouth very suddenly, a look on his face like she had slapped him in the face. She didn't really care. She hoped he would leave.

He didn't. Not right away. He lingered, staring at her, as if he was waiting for her to add something to her previous statement. She had nothing to add.

"I...guess I'll just leave then." He said after a painful couple of minutes.

Hermione jerked her head in agreement. But he still lingered for half a minute. Hermione didn't move as he left, she didn't blink when he looked back as he closed the door, but as soon as the door had closed she collapsed into her chair, head tilted up to the ceiling. She just stared at the planks of redwood, counting the knots, trying to ignore the little voice in the back of her head, beating herself up for not talking to Charlie, telling her to go after him.

She remained like that for maybe half a minute before her office door slammed open, and she jumped so far off her chair that the chair actually skidded back on its wheels when she landed. For a moment, she thought that Charlie had come back. But it wasn't Charlie. It was Ron.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He thundered, throwing himself across the room at her chair.

Hermione stood up quickly, instinctively reaching in her pocket for her wand...which was tucked into a drawer in her desk. "I might ask you the same question!" Hermione exclaimed, her voice a few octaves higher than normal. "Just because you think you can walk all over me outside of work does not mean that you can just barge into my office whenever you-"

"Charlie, Hermione!" Ron yelled, spit flying from his mouth. Hermione blinked in surprise. "What was Charlie doing here?"

"I don't see how that is any of your bus-"

"Are fucking him?"

"E-excuse me?"

"Are you fucking Charlie or not?"

"My sex life is none of your business!"

"So you are!"

"I never said that! I said it's none of your business if I am or not! Now get the hell out of my office."

He ignored her. "He is my brother!"

"Get out!"

"I won't allow it."

Hermione's eyes flashed. "You won't allow it?" Hermione echoed dangerously. Ron just raised his chin up defiantly. "You have absolutely no control over anything that I do."

Ron sighed in aggravation and rolled his eyes. "It's not about you, Hermione. It's about Charlie."

"Oh really?" Hermione asked, almost snarling. "This has nothing at all to do with you not wanting me to be with anyone else?"

"No. It doesn't, actually. The world doesn't revolve around you."

Hermione tried to ignore that dig. "Then what exactly is your reasoning?"

"You were no good for me...you'll be no good for him."

Hermione balked. She even stumbled back into her desk. Of all the things Ron could have said, she never expected him to say something that cruel. "Get out." Hermione gasped.

Ron didn't move. He stared at her face, which she was working so hard to keep set, as if waiting for it to crumple and her to dissolve into tears. "GET OUT!" She shrieked.

Finally, he listened to her. Either that, or he thought she had got the message. Hermione seemed to be unable to move. She stood where she had been, one hand on the corner of her desk, staring at the place Ron had just vacated, her chin wobbling.

"Miss...Granger?" a small voice at the door asked. "Hermione?"

It was Beth. Ron hadn't closed the door behind him when he left - or when he entered, for that matter - and she must have come to see what all the shouting had been about. Hermione blinked. The door had been open. Her entire office, all of her coworkers, would have heard what they had shouted.

"Oh my god." she gasped, sinking down onto her desk fully and placing her head in her hands.

Beth was at her side almost immediately. Hermione was grateful to hear the door click. "It's all right, Hermione."

Hermione shook her head. "Everyone heard. Everything."

"It will be forgotten by next Wednesday."

"We might not be here by next Wednesday." Hermione moaned miserably.

Beth straightened suddenly and Hermione knew she was staring at her in confusion. Hermione lowered her hands and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I meant to tell you in a more...professional manner. Kingsley gave me the warning last week. I had planned on telling everyone tomorrow."

"He's closing the department?" Beth asked in horror.

"It's a high possibility."

Beth's face was the image of panic. Her eyes were wide, her eyebrows were raised into her hairline, her mouth was set into an O and her skin was a few shades too light. "What am I going to do?" She gasped. "I have two boys to feed."

Hermione stood up and put her hand on her friends' arm. "I'm sorry, Beth. I'm so sorry."

"You don't understand. I barely get by as it is. How am I supposed to survive with no income and no savings?" She raised her hands to her head, pushing her hair away from her face. "I'm a single parent, Hermione. I can't not have a full-time job."

Hermione opened and closed her mouth a few times, at a complete loss for words. "I...nothing has been decided yet. There is still time to find another job."

"I don't have the reputation you do. With the economy the way it is...I'm not exactly in a highly sought after profession."

Hermione didn't know what to say to her. Beth was a good woman, and had the potential to be a good friend outside of work, but it wasn't like Hermione could promise her a new job. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Beth left Hermione's office, leaving Hermione feeling awful. Between the possible closure of the department and the explosion of her personal life on the office walls, Hermione felt rather sick. She could feel the beginning of a headache forming behind her eyes and at the base of her neck, every muscle in her body seemed to be in knots, and her stomach was churning unpleasantly. And it wasn't even noon.

Hermione had been correct to dread the rest of the day - she ended up sending half of the department home at noon, but the rest of them still struggled to keep busy. The dull ache of her headache only increased with the stress of trying to find something to do to occupy everyone. She ended up sending a memo to Harry begging him to give her something, but that something only ended up taking up three people and an hour.

By three, she and Beth were the only ones left in the office. Hermione had tried to tell Beth to go home, but Beth refused, saying she needed the hours. Hermione didn't try to fight her.

Once the clock hit quarter to five, Hermione decided that she could actually start packing up to go home. She was really looking forward to tackling the to-do list she had made for herself at the beginning of the day - such as doing laundry. After the day she had had, she wanted to do anything and everything she could that night to stimulate her senses.

She was halfway to her designated apparation point when she realized what day it was. With a groan and a fist to her hair, she turned around and marched back into the Ministry. Harry was waiting for her in the Auror's office when she got there, eyebrows raised. It was, mercifully, otherwise abandoned.

"I thought you would've been down here as soon as the clock struck five after that memo." He remarked as they started their walk towards the lifts.

"I forgot." Hermione admitted. "I was already outside when I remembered."

"Ah." Harry nodded as they stepped into the lifts, "I wondered if you hadn't tried to skip out on me."

"I wasn't!" Hermione insisted. "I honestly just forgot, Harry. It was a long day." Not that she wouldn't have liked to skip out on him, but she had promised Harry she would go to The Burrow with him. She sighed. She honestly believed that some days she was too good of a friend to Harry Potter.

"When were Bill and Fleur supposed to be getting to The Burrow?" Harry asked as they were approaching the Floo-grate.

"Erm...I think 5:30. We're all supposed to be there before."

"We'll be hard pressed to make it."

Hermione checked her watch. It was five minutes to 5:30 now. She groaned. Molly would be livid with them for missing the big jump-out-and-scream part of the party. Hermione had tried to convince Molly that it was a bad idea with Victoire being so young, but Molly hadn't been concerned about frightening her granddaughter. "Bill and Fleur deserve a surprise!" Molly had insisted. "They think only Arthur and I are going to be here for dinner. They'll be so surprised to see everyone."

Harry went through the Floo first. As Hermione watched him disappear through the Floo, she couldn't help but think that it would be good to see Bill and Fleur again after they had been gone to France for so long. A few weeks after Victoire was born they decided to go to France to visit Fleur's family for a few weeks. The few weeks had turned into a month, which had then turned into the majority of the summer. She smiled at the thought of seeing Victoire again after so long - she couldn't imagine how much the baby had changed in the almost three months since she had since her last.

When Hermione stumbled out of the grate into the kitchen at the Burrow, she was surprised to see that it was empty, save for Harry.

"It is Monday, August the first, isn't it?" Harry asked.

"Yes." Hermione replied, hoping that the party had been moved to Bill and Fleur's and they could just leave.

"Is that Hermione and Harry?" a very familiar voice sounded from outside. Hermione's stomach clenched just as Mrs. Weasley stuck her head through a window. "Oh! Harry, dear! Hermione! We're all outside! Come on out!" Mrs. Weasley's head disappeared back into the garden, and Hermione heard her shouting something at one of her children. Probably George. It was always George.

"Well, at least she isn't angry that we missed the surprise." Harry said as they walked slowly outside.

As soon as they stepped outside, they were blinded by all of the party decorations thrown into the garden, including an enormous "WELCOME HOME" banner strewn across two trees adjacent to them, far too many balloons, and streams that floated through the air without blowing away. Colourful party lights adorned the trees, but they were hardly noticeable in the daylight. "Wow, Mrs. Weasley really went all out, didn't she?" Harry muttered.

Hermione merely nodded. She was suddenly not feeling so great. Her stomach was churning unpleasantly and her knees suddenly felt like jelly. She grabbed hold of Harry's arm. He paused and glanced at her. "Are you all right? You look terrible."

"I don't know if I can do this." She gasped.

Harry turned to face her, blocking out a small portions of the party decorations with his body. "You'll be fine. Ron won't even be here until later, you can be gone by then."

"But...last time..."

"Last time happened to be very awful circumstances. There aren't going to be any nasty surprises this time. No raised voices, no awkward moments. Just fun with good people." He paused and searched her face. "Okay?"

Hermione nodded slowly and he started to lead her out into the festivities. They were attacked almost immediately by George, who had more than a few drinks, and was sporting a ridiculous hat that could have come from a costume shop. He slung his arms around the two of them, going on about his latest product. Hermione tried to keep up, but he really was making no sense.

Luckily, they were rescued by Angelina Johnson, who George had been dating for nearly a year. She pulled her beau off of them, shaking her head and insisting that they go and find some food. Harry and Hermione next made their way over to Bill and Fleur to welcome them home. Victoire was asleep in Fleur's arms, and Hermione was absolutely shocked at how much the little girl had grown in the past few months. She was unrecognizable. Her blonde hair had some length to it now, her face had started to fill out, and...well she had got quite chubby.

"Eet was very nice to see my family again." Fleur said. "But eet ees so good to be 'ome."

Hermione nodded and just as she was about to reply, Victoire woke up with a shriek and Bill and Fleur's attentions were instantly consumed by their daughter.

Hermione looked away from the small family and noticed that Harry had disappeared, the prat. She wandered away, thinking of maybe heading to the orchard as she didn't really feel like being social, but was forced to stop when Charlie stepped in front of her.

"Hi." He said.

"Hi." She echoed dully. "Er, excuse me."

"Are you alright?" He asked before she could side step him. She stopped and looked at him. "I know this is probably hard."

Hermione ground her teeth together. "I'm fine, Charles. Excuse me."

Charlie cocked an eyebrow at her but stepped aside for her to pass. She did so quickly. She had reached the trees when she became aware of someone following her. Hermione didn't have to look to see that it was Charlie. But she did anyway.

"Since when do you call me Charles?" He asked.

She shrugged, stepping gratefully into the shade of the apple trees. She tipped her head up to search for a ripe apple and Charlie allowed her to search in peace for a good five minutes. She was aware of his constant gaze, but at least he didn't speak. She had spotted an apple that she thought might be good and was just about to Summon it when Charlie stepped in front of her and pushed her wand down.

"Charlie." Hermione said in exasperation.

"Hermione." Charlie echoed in a similar tone.

"What exactly do you want?"

"You didn't answer my question."

Hermione rolled her eyes, and summoned the apple. It just missed Charlie's ear on the way to her hand.

He glowered at her and she smirked in a very Draco Malfoy-ish way before spinning around and taking a hefty bite.

She was about to leave the grove when Charlie seized her arm and spun her around. She was unable to say anything due to a mouth full of apple, but she thought her face probably showed her annoyance enough.

"The other night -"

Hermione swallowed quickly and interrupted, "- is something I would rather just forget."

Charlie's brow crinkled and he pursed his lips briefly. "You're angry with me."

"Maybe I am. Just...leave me alone."

But Charlie didn't let go of her arm right away. He stared at her for a long time as if trying to reach into her mind and dissect what she was thinking. But after Hermione had glared at him long enough, he let her go, hesitantly. She spun away from him, her apple forgotten in her tightly clenched fist.

No one at the party seemed to have missed her while she and Charlie disappeared into the orchard. George was several drinks past too many, and as a result more stupid than funny. Though he obviously thought he was a riot. Even Angelina was getting tired of his awful jokes. The cake that Mrs. Weasley had no doubt slaved over the past day and a half had just been cut into and Bill and Fleur were feeding each other pieces of cake, which caused Hermione's stomach to turn. She used to find it sweet, when they first got married. But they were still as sickeningly sweet as they always had been. Years of marriage had changed nothing. She supposed she should be jealous - it wasn't often you found a relationship like that. But she wasn't sure she wanted a relationship like that.

Hermione spotted Harry, eating a piece of cake next to Mr. Weasley. They were standing silently, Mr. Weasley intent on his cake, Harry on a certain red head and her blond beau. Hermione sighed and, after having a piece of cake shoved into her hand by Mrs. Weasley, who stared at her with that overly concerned look of hers, stood herself in Harry's line of sight. His jaw was set firmly and his gaze remained distant for a few minutes, as if he could still see Ginny and Malfoy together. He blinked suddenly, focused on Hermione briefly and then dropped his gaze to his mostly untouched cake.

Hermione took a bite of her cake, which turned out to be chocolate cheesecake. It melted in her mouth. Not that she should have expected anything different from Mrs. Weasley.

"Hello, Hermione." Mr. Weasley said warmly after a few moments.

"Oh, hello Mr. Weasley. How are you?"

"Fine, thank you, just fine." He tilted his head slightly and frowned, "And how are you doing?"

Hermione hesitated. She wasn't sure how to respond. She didn't feel right lying to him, but at the same time she couldn't very well say she was absolutely miserable. "I'm all right."

"How is that Bill of yours going?"

Hermione's stomach sank a few inches. "Poorly, I'm afraid. I don't know that it's going to go through."

"Have you sent it to the Minister yet?"

"No. I was hoping to have someone else's name on it. I tried Ernie MacMillan - he's working in the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Office now - but he didn't seem too keen on it."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Hermione considered him. Mr. Weasley still worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office - and was still one of two employees, though he was the Head of the Department now. His office really wasn't relevant to the Bill. She might have been able to swing it for the blood prejudice Bill, but this one? "Not unless you know someone in the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Office that might be interested."

"Hmm." Mr. Weasley sounded as if he would have liked to stroke his beard - if his hands hadn't been full with his cake. "I'll have a think and let you know."

Hermione smiled. "Thanks, Mr. Weasley."

Mr. Weasley nodded, took another bite of cake and then wandered towards his wife. Hermione, her mind completely on work, didn't notice Harry start to wander off in the direction that Ginny and Malfoy had been in until he was already half a foot away. Hermione grabbed his arm, nearly upsetting both of their slabs of cake, and gave him a look.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"Harry, leave Ginny alone." Hermione warned, glancing over at the red head, who was walking towards the orchard.

"I wasn't-"

"Yes, you were." Hermione shook her head. "You broke up with her, Harry. She's perfectly able to date whomever she wants now."

Harry turned to face Hermione, his face a mixture of emotions. "But Malfoy, Hermione!"

"I know. But you know full well if you go over there and try to convince her to break it off with him she'll just get angry at you and you'll end up worse off."

"Fine. I won't talk to her."

"Good." Hermione was about to turn away, when she realized what he meant. "And leave Malfoy alone too, Harry. It would be no better than confronting Ginny."

Harry frowned but nodded slowly, obviously not liking that she could read him so well. Hermione smiled softly and squeezed his shoulder. "I can't tell you that it will get easier to see her with someone new, but you can't do anything about it, so you'll just have to bear it."

"It's...it isn't that I regret breaking it off with her." Harry admitted slowly. "I wasn't being honest with her about how I really felt. It's just..."

"You don't want to see her with anyone else?"

Harry frowned. "I...well I wasn't going to put it like that... Blimey, that makes me sound so selfish."

Hermione couldn't disagree with him. So she squeezed his arm again and went to go find something to drink - the cake was delicious, truly, but it was almost too rich. Not to mention that she just saw two figures appear around the house, and one of the was most definitely Berkley McKenzie.

Unluckily, the house wasn't empty. She found Malfoy at the refreshments table in the kitchen, ladling himself some punch. He didn't bother to offer her any. So she served herself some. Malfoy stared at her over the top of his cup. "What?"

He shook his head and took a long draught, but continued to stare at her. She turned to leave, but then saw Ron and Berkley pass in front of the window. She decided to stay in the kitchen with Malfoy, who snorted. "I knew you didn't want to see Weaselbee, but really, Granger...it can't be that big of a deal."

"You know, you should maybe learn his name now that you're dating Ginny."

"None of them expect it to last, anyway."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "So you're just going to call her family degrading nicknames? You have to know how Ginny would feel about that."

Draco smirked and Hermione had an idea he knew exactly how Ginny would react. She was suddenly recalled back to their conversation at the club: She's a damn good shag. Hermione repressed a grimace and settled for shaking her head.

She turned away from him, looking at the window at Ron and Berkley, who were talking to Ginny. Or, Ginny was talking at them. She didn't look impressed.

Draco tapped his fingers against the cup he was holding. "What are you going to do about Weasley?"

"Which one am I supposed to be doing something about?" Hermione asked absently.

"The one you're staring at."

Hermione didn't say anything for a while, watching as Ginny gestured angrily as Ron and Berkley walked away, towards the orchard."I'm not going to do anything about him."

Once she was sure they were gone, or at least far enough away for comfort, Hermione picked up her plate of cake and started walking back outside. Until Draco said, "And what about that lovely blond-haired woman he's got on his arm?"

Hermione froze, but said nothing.

Malfoy approached Hermione, standing close behind her. She could feel his hot breath through her hair on the back of her neck. One of his hands touched her shoulder, pulled her hair away from her ear. Hermione still didn't move. "Show him you don't give a damn." He whispered.

Hermione blinked and she turned around. They were only inches apart. "But I do give a damn," she whispered.

Draco shook his head. "I never said you didn't, Granger."

He watched her for a moment, blinking quickly, her mind turning, before slipping past her, rejoining the party. Hermoine stared at the spot he had been, blinking slowly.

It took Hermione a few minutes - or maybe ten - to make herself move out into the garden. Holding herself very stiffly, her face set into a too-wide grin, Hermione returned to the garden, where, Ron and Berkley were standing, the center of attention. Ginny looked livid. So did Mrs. Weasley, but she was being distracted by Fleur, who, they way she was gesturing, was talking either about pregnancy, or children, or perhaps both.

Of one thing, Hermione was very grateful right at that moment - that she wasn't a character in some blasted novel. No doubt the author would have made all of the people in the garden turn and stare at her as she stepped back into the garden. But no one did. Everyone - well, except for Ginny - were paying little to no attention to either Hermione or the woman Ron had brought with him. Or at least, not at the same time.

Ginny walked promptly over to Hermione, her legs stiff. "I'm so sorry." She said, anger still evident in her voice, "If I had known he was going to be bringing the wench I would have convinced him not to come."

Hermione shook her head. "It's fine."

Ginny didn't seem to hear her. "I mean, really! The nerve of him! He knew you were going to be here, I don't know how he could be so...so..."

"So very much like Ron?"

Ginny looked at her.

"Honestly, Ginny. He can date whoever he wants." Hermione couldn't believe that those words had just come out of her mouth. She sounded so sure of what she was saying, like she really didn't care.

"You don't have to put on a brave face, Hermione. It's perfectly fine to be hu - rt!" Ginny's voice rose several octaves suddenly and she glanced swiftly behind her. Draco stood just behind her, and it would appear that he had just felt her up. Ginny turned to admonish him, which was enough distraction for Hermione to slip away. She was unable to stop herself from glancing at Ron and Berkley, who chose at that moment to kiss. Hermione spun away from them, back towards the house, where she thought she had seen Harry enter just moments before.

She was correct. Harry was writing a letter. There was an owl sitting on the kitchen table impatiently, he looked important, and Hermione imagined it was something to do with work. Even so, she couldn't stop herself from saying, "I'm leaving."

Harry looked up from his letter, not looking surprised, but slightly annoyed. "I figured you would." He sounded annoyed. And Hermione had a feeling it wasn't because she interrupted his letter-writing.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked him tentatively.

Harry sighed and put his quill down. "Hermione...you're one of my best friends, but Merlin, sometimes I just want to shake you." Hermione took a step away from him, Ron's earlier words slapping her in the face. Her chest constricted and her eyes fell to the floor. Was he about to lash out at her too? "You expect me to act perfectly around Ginny and her family, even when she is dating Malfoy. But Ron shows up with his new girlfriend and you lose it. It's just a little hypocritical, don't you think?"

Hermione looked at Harry, surprise written all over her face. "I...I never thought about it like that."

Harry rose his eyebrows at her and turned back to his letter. "I...sorry." Hermione added. Harry nodded, but didn't say anything else. Either he was still annoyed with her - probably - or he was very involved in his letter. "I'll er...talk to you soon?"

Harry looked up from his letter and gave her a long hard look. "Yeah."

Hermione smiled at him, albeit a little weakly. "Have a good weekend, Harry."

"You too."

He went back to his letter and Hermione started to walk to the door. "Oh, tell the others I left, will you?"

"Sure. Oh, and Hermione?" Hermione looked back at him, her hand on the door. "Charlie was looking for you. He looked..." Harry looked up from his letter, "Well I think you should talk to him before you run off."

Hermione frowned: she had been hoping to slip away without anyone spotting her. Charlie most of all. "He looked what, Harry?"

Harry thought for a few moments. "I dunno. Upset, I guess."

"Upset?"

Harry paused and then nodded. "Yeah, upset."

"But what-?"

"I dunno." Harry interrupted, glancing at his letter, "You'll have to ask Charlie."

But Hermione didn't want to ask Charlie. She didn't want to see Charlie anymore. She would like to pretend that the kiss that they shared hadn't happened, and that his brother tearing into her didn't happen and that none of it happened. Not that she could. "You know, I would really like it if, one day, I could just escape all of the drama and live a normal life."

Harry snorted. "Normal? What's normal?"

Hermione sighed. "I wish I knew."


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6

Hermione skipped on seeing Charlie. She actually skipped on seeing anybody. She didn't even say good-bye to Ginny. She just disapparated from the front door of the Burrow directly into her bedroom, despite the fact that she was breaking about half a dozen Ministry laws by doing so.

She sat down slowly on the foot of her bed, which was one of the few clean spots in the room and stared out the window at the building next door. "It's fine." She told herself, "I don't care. Ron can be with whoever he wants. He and Berkley deserve one another."

She nodded, blinked and looked at her feet. She wrinkled her nose, her room really was a disaster zone. She bent down and picked up a sweater - dirty or clean, Hermione couldn't tell - and repeated what she had just told herself silently: the deserve one another.

Repeating the four words to herself in a sort of mantra, Hermione slowly began to pick away at the mess that was her bedroom, not noticing immediately the strange smell wafting under the door from the hallway. But soon the smell became so potent that Hermione couldn't not notice it.

Hermione straightened, brow furrowed. She sniffed the air, and immediately began to cough violently as the stench filled her nostrils. She covered her nose and mouth with her sleeve, her eyes squinting towards the door as if through a mist. "Luna?" She called, her voice muffled through her elbow.

With trepidation, Hermione picked her way across her slightly less mess floor and pulled her bedroom door open. The stench made her eyes water, and even through her sleeve she could smell and taste the putrid toxin. She coughed again, pulling her top over her mouth and nose. "Luna?" She called again, reaching out to knock on the blonde's bedroom door. She paused just before her fist made contact with the wood - it was hot.

Hermione's breathing quickened, her eyes darting around the hallway. "Luna!" she half-shouted through her shirt. There was still no answer.

Starting to panic, Hermione dashed back into her bedroom just as a knock came to the front door. She ignored it as she seized her wand from her bed and hurtled back into the hallway, nearly falling on her face as her foot caught on something in her bedroom.

Her shirt slipped as she seized the doorframe and she inhaled a lungful of the toxin. Her vision went cloudy as she gasped and coughed. Someone knocked on the door again, more urgently this time. "Hermione?" A muffled someone called through the front door. "I know you're in there, open the door."

Hermione again, ignored whoever it was that was outside the front door and jammed her wand at Luna's bedroom door. It shot open violently, bouncing off of the wall and nearly slamming shut again. White gas and vicious heat spilled out of Luna's bedroom and Hermione covered her nose with her shirt again. She didn't dare open her mouth to call for Luna again. She didn't hardly dare step into the mist - she couldn't identify it and if it had incapacitated Luna, who knows what it would do to Hermione? - but she just couldn't leave Luna in there, inhaling the fumes, or worse, not breathing at all. So, eyes half closed, she charged towards the mist, until a hand yanked her backwards.

"What are you doing?" Charlie Weasley yelled, pulling her away from the room. "Do you know what that _is_?"

"Luna's in there!" Hermione gasped, attempting to yank her arm away from Charlie's grip.

"Hermione! That's _poisonous_. It's the fumes from a boiled Ashwinder egg!"

"And Luna is breathing it in, Charlie." Hermione said furiously, "Let go!"

She pushed him backwards and dove into the room, her wand completely forgotten in her hand. She held her breath as she skidded to a halt in front of Luna, who had collapsed while sitting in a chair - one leg was still draped over the seat. Hermione seized the blonde's arms and began to drag her backwards, until she felt a curious sensation surrounded her head, as if it had been dipped in cool water. Hermione looked up and saw Charlie standing next to her, his head enclosed in a bubble of breathable air and his wand pointed at her. Hermione realized with a jolt that he had - of course - thought to use a Bubble Head Charm while Hermione had, once again, lost her head in a crisis situation and completely forgotten about magic.

While Hermione was beating herself up, Charlie had performed the Bubble Head Charm on Luna, and was now peering into the cauldron sitting on Luna's desk, which was emitting the fumes. "There are four in there!" He gasped, turning to stare at Hermione. "_Four_! What in the name of Merlin is she doing boiling _four_ Ashwinder eggs?"

Hermione just shook. She couldn't pretend to know what went on in Luna's head. "I don't think she's breathing." Hermione said suddenly.

Charlie glanced down at the unconscious blonde. "Where's your fireplace?"

Hermione blinked at him. "My fireplace? Why-?"

Charlie growled in annoyance. "Floo, Hermione! We need to Floo St. Mungo's!"

"Oh. I'll..I'll do it."

Hermione stood on shaky feet and stumbled towards the living room, feeling light headed. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She felt sluggish, like someone had filled her brain with cotton.

Clumsily, she grabbed a handful of Floo Powder from the bag on the mantel, nearly knocking it to the floor and knelt before the fireplace. She stared into the empty grate, blinking slowly. Her head was spinning, she had to put her hands on the floor just to make herself stay semi-upright.

She heard footsteps behind her and lunged suddenly towards the fireplace, flinging the fistful at the brick. Nothing happened.

"Merlin, Hermione, you have to light a fire fir - are you alright?"

Charlie grasped her shoulders and she blinked slowly at him, trying to get his face to focus. "Charlie..." she muttered, "why do I see two of you?"

"Oh, fuck."

Charlie pulled Hermione to her feet, who immediately nearly fell down again - and would have if Charlie hadn't been supporting her. He led her over to the sofa and sat her down on it. "How much of the fumes did you inhale?"

Hermione shrugged and swayed from the motion. She covered her eyes with her hand, hoping to stop the world from spinning. "I...don't know."

"Okay well...I think you may have Ashwinder poisoning." He passed his hand through his hair and exhaled deeply. He studied her for a moment before spinning quickly towards the fireplace, lighting a fire and sticking his head into the green flames.

Hermione lowered her hand and started to try to stand, but wasn't two inches off of the sofa before she collapsed back onto the couch. So she scooted forward and dropped to the floor, shuffling forward very slowly on her hands and knees towards Luna's bedroom. She had to pause every few movements so that she didn't pass out, but she was determined to check on her friend. She only stopped when Charlie seized her shoulders and pulled her into a sitting position. "What are you doing? Hermione..."

"Luna." Hermione croaked, "I need to check on Luna."

"The Healers are here, they'll look after Luna. C'mon, Hermione..."

"Miss, we need to take you back to St. Mungo's."

"I'm fine." Hermione muttered weakly as the Healer bent down in front of her. "Look after Luna."

"My counterpart is seeing to her now. Look into the light, if you would."

Hermione glanced up and saw him pointing his wand at her, a bright light shining from it. Sharp pains ran through her skull and she flinched away from the light. "Please, look into the light."

"My head." Hermione rasped, wanting to massage her temples, but unsure if she could remain sitting if she did.

There was a sudden commotion at the door, and Hermione estimated at least two more people had arrived. "Where?" someone asked.

"The bedroom." Hermione heard Charlie say, "Last door down the hall."

The Healer's stomped passed her, sending more spikes of pain through Hermione's head. Hermione let out a moan and she heard the Healer next to her say, "We need to get her on the gurney."

Hermione felt herself being lifted suddenly and she opened her eyes in surprise. Charlie's face was right in front of her. "It's okay." He said softly, "They're just taking you to St. Mungo's."

"My eyes are heavy." She muttered once she had been laid down on the levitating gurney.

"Try to stay awake." It was Charlie again. He had taken her hand. He looked somewhere above her, "Can we take her now?"

The Healer must have nodded because the gurney started to move. Charlie had to drop her hand so they could get out the door and down the stairs, but he took it again immediately once they were in the ambulance. Hermione barely noticed - she was so tired, and her body was starting to go numb. She could hardly keep her eyes open, and Charlie squeezing her fingers did nothing to help her.

"I'm so tired." she sighed, her eyes fluttering close.

"No, Hermione, you need to stay awake. Hermione. Hermione!" She didn't feel Charlie shake her shoulders, but her eyes did flutter back open. "You need to stay awake."

"It's...so hard."

"I know, love. I know. They're coming with Luna now, we'll be there in a few minutes. Just stay with me for a few minutes, okay?"

Hermione's chest suddenly tightened and she gripped Charlie's hand tightly. "Don't leave me."

"I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

She barely heard him. Her lips continued moving, repeating the three words almost silently. Her eyes fluttered closed and then, "I wasn't good enough for him, Charlie...I'm not good enough for you."

Hermione went still, her head lolling to the side, finally unable to fight the urge to sleep any longer. She didn't see the look of unmistakeable rage on Charlie's face.

When Hermione woke again, her entire body ached. Her head felt like it had been cleaved in two, every muscle had that uncomfortable pins and needles feel to it, and she had a feeling if she tried to move, she may just get sick. "Ung..." She moaned, opening her eyes slowly to total darkness.

She looked around the room, moving her head as little as possible. The only light that came into the room came through the cracks around the door and between the blinds and window, so it was next to impossible to see. But she thought she could make out an empty chair sitting across from the door, probably next to a small table, and she could definitely see a chair sitting next to her bed, with what she thought was a cloak draped over top of it.

She shifted slightly, bracing herself for the pain that she was certain to come. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be - her muscles prickled from being asleep, but there were no more shooting pains. Though, when she tried to sit up, it did feel like her kidney's were about to explode.

Eyes squeezed shut, she sank back down into her pillows, any thought of sitting up completely gone from her mind, let along standing or walking.

Time passed slowly for Hermione, laying there in the dark, not hardly wanting to move in case she discovered some new way of torturing herself. She tried to fall back asleep, but the incessant tingling of her entire body made that impossible. She was just about to try sitting up again when the door opened slowly.

Light flooded into the room, luckily not shining on Hermione and blinding her, but the change of light made her eyes ache. "You're awake!" Charlie exclaimed, rushing from the doorway to her bed. "How're you feeling?"

"Ugh. Awful." She opened her eyes halfway. "What happened?"

"Ashwinder poisoning. Luna was -"

"Boiling eggs." Hermione finished. Her eyes snapped open suddenly. "Luna. Is she-?"

"The Healers have done everything they can for her, but she was poisoned very badly. They're bringing in a specialist on poisons to have a look at her."

Hermione closed her eyes again. "If I'd only left earlier."

"Hermione, this is not your fault."

"I know." She sighed, and then winced. Her lungs burned.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. I just hurt everywhere." She opened her eyes again. "Thank you for staying with me, Charlie."

He smiled and started to say something, but the door, which had swung closed automatically, burst open suddenly and Ginny came flying into the room, followed closely by Harry, Mrs. Weasley and, to Hermione's surprise and slight displeasure, Ron.

"Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley gasped, practically shouldering Charlie out of the way and grabbing Hermione's hand rather forcefully. Hermione hissed and winced as dozens of tiny splinters seemed to fly up her arm. Mrs. Weasley quickly dropped her hand. "How are you feeling, dear?"

"Fine." Hermione lied. "I'm fine." Her eyes landed on Ron, who looked paler than usual. "What are you doing here?" There was no malice in her voice, not even a hint of bitterness. All emotion seemed to have been drained for Hermione since being poisoned.

"I..." Ron started, glancing around the room at his family and Harry. His eyes landed on Charlie, who looked livid. Ron balked and stammered, "I-I can go if you er, want me to."

"Why would you think you would be welcome here after what you said to her?"

Everyone's eyes turned to Charlie, whose face was red with rage. Ron swallowed nervously and glanced at his mother, who looked nervous. "Now, Charlie dear, just because they aren't getting married any longer does not mean that he doesn't care-"

"Oh, he doesn't care, mother. Trust me."

Charlie was still staring at Ron with intense fury. Ron looked terrified. Hermione wanted to say something to ease the tension, or at least Charlie's anger, but she had no idea what to say.

"I think maybe it would be best if you left, Ron." Hermione was surprised that it was Harry who suggested this. "Hermione doesn't need the stress right now."

Ron nodded, glancing at Hermione briefly, before nearly fleeing out of the room. As soon as the door closed, Charlie rounded on his mother. "Why did you let him come here? He has no business -"

"Charles." Mrs. Weasley said dangerously, "That is enough. I do not know what happened between the two of you, but it ends here. Hermione needs our support right now."

"You have no idea-"

"Enough!" Mrs. Weasley barked, and Charlie immediately closed his mouth. She nodded shortly and glanced at Hermione, who suddenly wondered when the lights got turned on. "Is there anything we can do for you? The Healer's said you would be in a lot of pain."

"No, I'm fine. Really, I'll be okay." Hermione glanced at Ginny, who looked pale and frightened. "Ginny?"

"I'm fine." Ginny said quickly, in a higher octave than normal. "Has anyone checked on Luna? I think maybe I'll go see her."

She disappeared as quickly as Ron had. Hermione frowned. Mrs. Weasley patted her hand gently, sending tiny tendrils of shocks through her fingers. "She's just in shock, dear. She'll be fine."

"I'm not sure she should see Luna alone." Charlie said, "She's in a pretty bad state."

"Why don't you go with her, Charlie." Mrs. Weasley said, fluffing Hermione's pillows absentmindedly.

Hermione glanced up at Charlie, who didn't look like he was about to move any time soon. "Please, Charlie? I'd like to know how Luna is doing."

Charlie looked down at Hermione, looked as if he was about to say something, but then decided against it and left the room. Mrs. Weasley began to straighten Hermione's blankets, while Harry stood silently at the foot of her bed. "Why _did_ Ron come?" Hermione asked after a few minutes of silence.

"When Charlie sent the owl...he was the one who received it." Harry said. "I was with him, he...Hermione I've never seen him look so terrified. He read the letter and just stared at it. I've never seen him shaking so badly, or his face so white. When I asked him what was wrong he just shoved the letter at me, he couldn't even speak."

Hermione stared at her hands, unsure of what to do with this new development. It certainly seemed like he was contradicting himself after what he said to her at the Ministry. "I don't understand." she murmured.

"Oh, Hermione, he still loves you." Mrs. Weasley said confidently. Hermione looked up at her sharply and saw, much to her surprise, that Mrs. Weasley was smiling. "He just went through a period of doubt, is all. And after he and that McKenzie woman had the row..." she beamed at Hermione, "Well I wouldn't worry about it anymore, dear. I expect we will get that wedding after all!"

Hermione stared at Mrs. Weasley, her mouth gaping open slightly. "Mrs Weasley...after everything that has happened -"

"Oh, I'm not saying it won't take time, I'm just saying that you'll be alright in the end." She nodded optimistically. Hermione didn't argue with her, though she knew that it would be a miracle if she trusted, or forgave, Ron enough to even be his friend again, let alone anything else. And in all honesty...she wasn't sure she wanted anything else from him anyway.

Mrs. Weasley continued to fuss for the next ten minutes or so, nattering on about nothing at all important, but distracting Hermione sufficiently from the pain she was suffering from. She continued asking periodically if Hermione needed something, which, Hermione kept denying until she thought her ears might fall off if Mrs. Weasley kept talking. "Actually, Mrs. Weasley, I am feeling some discomfort...would you be able to find a Healer and ask them if the have anything I could take?"

Mrs. Weasley obliged immediately, leaving Hermione and Harry alone. "What happened?" he asked almost immediately. "Charlie was really vague in his letter."

"I'm not really sure." Hermione admitted. "I apparated directly into my bedroom, so I didn't notice anything strange for about half an hour, and then I smelt something that definitely didn't belong. I went into the hallway and Luna's door was closed, but it was hot, really hot. _Really_ hot. I would have burned my hand if I had touched it. And when I opened it this white gas spilled out of the room. I didn't recognize it, and if Charlie hadn't stopped me, I would have gone barreling in there with no protection." She shook her head. "I didn't even think to use a Bubble Head Charm. What kind of witch doesn't think to use magic?"

"You panicked. It's understandable."

"You would have thought of it."

"It's my job to remember that kind of thing. If I don't remember, it costs lives."

"It nearly cost me mine. It may have cost Luna hers."

"She's not going to die."

"You don't know that."

"She won't die, Hermione. She's Luna."

"That doesn't make her invincible."

There was a moment of silence, in which Hermione stared at the ceiling. "Is there something going on between you and Charlie?

Hermione glanced sharply at Harry. "What?"

"You and Charlie. He seemed very...protective."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"He nearly hexed Ron."

"No he didn't."

"Yeah, he did. His hand was in his pocket, I know he was holding his wand."

"Well maybe he's just tired, stressed. I don't know."

"Hermione."

"Harry."

"You can tell me."

She shook her head stiffly. "There's nothing to tell, Harry."

"I'm your best friend."

"There's nothing to tell."

Harry opened his mouth to argue more, but Mrs. Weasley returned at that moment with a Healer, who was carrying a handful of vials full of potions.

"It's good to see you awake, Miss Granger. You're feeling some discomfort?"

"Yes. It feels as though all of my muscles have been put asleep. And my head aches if I move it at all. And I can't sit up without it feeling like my kidney's are going to explode."

The Healer nodded. "Those are all after effects of the poison, it's your body getting rid of the toxins from your body. I'm afraid there isn't a lot that I can do, though this -" he held up one vial "- may help speed up the process."

"Any side effects?"

"You'll get very drowsy. And your muscles will probably be very stiff."

"I can live with that."

"Good. And this -" he held up a larger vial "- will help with the pain. This little bottle is a bottle of Dreamless Sleep, it will put you right to sleep."

"If I have that other potion, do I really need the Dreamless Sleep?"

"No, but the potion will be able to start to work faster."

Hermione nodded stiffly. "Alright. I'll take them."

The potions were disgusting, as Hermione expected, thought it really didn't make it easy for her to choke three vials of potion down. She coughed and spluttered, which only made her body hurt worse. By the time she had downed all three vials, sharp pains were shooting across her stomach and up and down her arms, and she was exhausted - no doubt thanks to the Dreamless Sleep.

"You don't need to stay." She mumbled, hoping Harry heard her. "You'll need to be able to function in the morning for work..."

Her eyes fluttered closed and the potions started to work their magic.

When she woke again, it was with a yelp. Considering the potions she had taken were supposed to help with pain, she was certainly feeling a lot of it. The room was filled with light now - it must be day time. She started to sit up, but a Healer came bustling in with more potions and shoved them into her hands. "Drink." She said sternly. Hermione obeyed, feeling like she was back in school and it was Madame Pomfrey who was administering her medicine. She liked the other Healer better - he was more agreeable.

Within five minutes, Hermione was sleeping again. She didn't wake up until the red light of the sun rising was coming in through the window. The pain she had felt before was numbed considerably, but she felt like she could barely move for stiffness.

Hermione is surprised to see a vase full of wild flowers and a few cards sitting on her bedside table. She smiled and started to reach over to grab the card on the flowers, but her muscles protest very painfully, so she decides to just wait. She stares at the wall opposite her, which is decorated with a single painting of a rose bush. It looked to Hermione like it was probably mass produced - there were probably a similar painting in each room in the hospital. But it was better to look at than the blank stretch of wall that would be there without it.

Hermione wished she could fall back asleep. That a Healer would come in and give her some more potions, if only just to pass the time. It had to be well passed visiting hours so it wasn't likely that anyone was going to pop in to see her. She sighed, and was pleasantly surprised when it didn't cause her lungs to ache.

She laid there in the room for hours, the sun had risen fully by the time her door opened again. It was, as expected, a Healer. Luckily, it wasn't the stern one, it was the friendly one from the first night. "Ah, Miss Granger. How are you feeling today?"

"Stiff." Hermione said, flexing her fingers experimentally.

He nodded and consulted a chart in his hand. "Any pain at all?"

"Some." Hermione admitted. "Though it hardly feels like a mosquito bite compared to how it was."

The Healer beamed over his clipboard. "Excellent! How about your appetite?"

Hermione paused, and then shook her head. "Not hungry."

He made a note on his clipboard. "That can be a side effect of the potions, but I'd like to do a couple of tests to make sure. Is that alright?"

Hermione nodded. The Healer nodded, pulled his wand out of his pocket and began to wave it around her. She watched with fascination as colours spurted from the tip of his wand, showing him indications to whatever it was his testing.

After ten minutes or so, he pocketed his wand, smiling. "It looks like you're well on your way to recovery, Miss Granger. The toxins are nearly completely out of your system and you shouldn't need any more potions - your body can do the rest of the work. The lack of appetite is just a side effect of the potions, it should be back in a day or so. In the mean time we'll bring your nutrition in as caplets."

Hermione nodded again. "Now," the Healer said, "is there anything you ne-" The door opened and the Healer turned to look. Hermione's heart leapt and she craned her neck hopefully, but quickly sank back into her pillows when she recognized Ernie MacMillion's face.

"Oh, sorry. Should I come back?"

"No, no. I'm all done here." The Healer smiled at Hermione, nodded at Ernie and disappeared out the door.

Ernie's eyes swept over Hermione's bed and he approaches her cautiously, as if she had the plague. Hermione forced herself not to roll her eyes. "Hi." She said instead.

"Hi." Ernie responded. "How - how are you?"

"I'm alright."

Ernie searched her face, possibly for lies. "I'm doing a lot better than I was." She told him.

He nodded and then raised his hand, revealing a large bouquet of roses. Hermione forced a smile on her face, though she really wasn't sure what to think of the flowers. And there were _a lot _of flowers in that bouquet. "I'll just put them next to these, shall I?" It wasn't really a question. He set them on the bedside table next to the wildflowers.

He pulled a chair up to her bed, sat down and took her hand. Hermione stared at his hand gripping hers uncomfortably. "You're sure you're doing ok?"

Hermione nodded. She was unsure she would be able to speak at the moment.

"Good." He smiled at her, stroking the top of her hand with his thumb.

"Ernie..." Hermione started.

"I expect you've been terribly bored here all by yourself." He interrupted.

"Er...well I've been asleep most of the time. But Ernie..."

"I can't believe no one's stayed with you! If I had known, I wouldn't have left."

Hermione's eyes widened slightly. "Ernie."

"Honestly, some friends, eh? Leave you alone in the hospital. It's disgusting."

"Ernie!"

He blinked and focused on her face. Hermione pulled her hand - with some difficulty thanks to her stiff muscles - free from his grip and turned to face him. "I haven't been alone the whole time. But I'm not on my death bed - I don't expect them to miss work for me. And..." she struggled with how to say what she needed to kindly. "It feels to me like you are under the impression that our relationship extends further than it does." Ernie's face was stony. "And I'm sorry if I have led you on, but after Ron...I'm just not ready for a relationship right now."

Hermione watched Ernie carefully, chewing her lip slightly. His face was completely unreadable. "Right." He said after a few long, awkward moments. "Well...right." He stood up suddenly. "I should go...just remembered...I've got a meeting."

"Ernie...I'm sorry."

He jerked his head slightly and left quickly. Hermione was left feeling guilty and distraught. She hated hurting people. She hated it. And she hated lying. And what she had just done was lie, though she didn't want to admit it. Not even to herself.

Hermione was discharged two days later, though she was given strict instructions to take it easy. The Healers forbade her from going to work, which in all honesty was unnecessary seems as the department was so slow. But she obeyed them anyway. She spent most of her time in the hospital, actually, in Luna's room. She was the only one who didn't have to work, so she felt obligated to stay with Luna whenever possible. The Healers wouldn't allow her to stay over night, though, but during the day, she rarely left Luna's side.

Luna's room was bursting with teddy bears - every available surface had been filled with them. There were a few bouquets of flowers, but anyone who knew her very well knew that she would like the bears more. Cards had been to her roof so that when she woke up they would be the first thing she would see. Unfortunately, she was still unresponsive to the Healer's efforts. Even with the expert's help, Luna wasn't responding. She was in a coma, her brain activity was low and her heart rate was erratic. The Healer's were starting to lose hope, but Hermione refused to give up on the blonde.

Ginny actually spends a lot of time in the room as well. Being a Quidditch player she had more flexible hours than the rest that worked 9 to 5 jobs. Though she and Hermione were silent most of the time. Occasionally they would come up with some small talk - How is work? It's nice outside today. Did you see what the _Prophet_ published today? - but it was never really meaningful.

Whenever Ron showed up, it was even more awkward. They were completely silent, even with Ginny there. She seemed to be angry with him. The room was often so thick with tension that Hermione had to get up and go into the hallway just to get away from it. One of these times, Ron followed her.

"Can I have a moment?" Hermione just looked at him. "I erm...wanted to apologize. For what I said." Hermione remained silent. "It was uncalled for. And cruel. And...I'm sorry."

Hermione still didn't say anything. She had nothing to say to him. Instead she nodded and started walking down the hallway. He followed. "Hermione." He grabbed her arm gently. "Wait...please." She paused but didn't face him. "I really am sorry. And I...when I got Charlie's letter..." His voice cracked. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

Hermione could have laughed. "If you lost me?" she repeated, her voice thick with irony as she turned to face him. "You've already lost me. When you took back your promise, you lost me. When you started screwing Berkley McKenzie, you lost me. When you barged into my office, you lost me."

Ron's face was pained. He shook his head and whispered. "Don't say that. I...I love you."

"Too late." His eyes jerked up to hers. "It's too late for that. You...have hurt me more than I thought anyone could have ever done. And I'm not sure I can forgive you for that."

Hermione started to turn from him, but his next words stopped her: "Is this because of Charlie?"

She whipped her head back around to face him. "This has nothing to do with Charlie, Ronald! This has to do with the fact that you betrayed me in the worst possible ways anyone could. This has to do with the fact that you didn't just break my heart, you carved it out of my chest with a spoon!"

Hermione spun away from him and continued down the corridor, her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel Ron's eyes on her all the way down the corridor until she escaped into the nearest loo. Once inside, she flung herself at the tiled counter, staring into the mirror. Her heart felt like it was trying to escape her ribcage, her legs shook. She hadn't even realized she felt any of what she had just said to Ron until she had said it. If it didn't feel to true she wouldn't believe it. Not after her reaction to seeing him with Berkley at the anniversary party. But something had changed within her over the last few days. Whether it was the near-death experience, or the fact that Luna may not make it...or realizing that she actually felt something besides physical attraction towards Charlie, she wasn't sure. Maybe it was a mixture of all three, an accumulation of all the events of the past few months.

She exhaled shakily and turned on the cold water and stuck her still-shaking fingers under the stream. They were soon numb with cold, but she left them in there. She wanted something to feel numb. She was so used to feeling numb, that not having anything be numb was foreign. She wasn't sure she liked it. Hence the numbing of the fingers. But after several minutes of her fingers being numb she pulled them out and ran them through her hair, pulling the hair tie that had her hair fixed in a braid at the back of her neck out as she did so. She ran her fingers through the braid, revealing very bushy hair. She exhaled slowly again. She was sick of all the drama. For one of the first times in her life, she wished she could just run away and escape everything. Escape Ron, escape work, escape all the drama that surrounded her. Again, she exhaled slowly. She was about to return to Luna's room when someone knocked on the loo door. She turned towards it, confused. "Er...come in?"

The door swung open and she almost smiled. Charlie was standing in the doorframe, looking one part concerned, one part pleased. He glanced behind him and then stepped into the loo. "Hi." He said.

"Hi." She echoed, turning to face him. Leaning against the counter, her hands gripped the edge as her eyes swept over his form. She was a little surprised by his attire: a plaid button down shirt (that was just tight enough to show his fit physique), worn blue jeans and brown work boots. It looked like something he would wear when he was out with dragons. She may have been surprised, but she couldn't say that she didn't like it.

"You look good." Funny, she had just been thinking the same thing. He reached out and stroked her hair, rubbing the strands between his thumb and forefinger. "You're feeling better?"

Hermione looked at his face. He was so close that she had to tilt her head to see him properly. Her eyes landed on his lips, which were parted slightly, and so close. Her stomach was suddenly filled with knots and butterflies, in the most pleasant way possible. She wanted to touch him, to brush her fingers against the stubble starting to show on his cheeks, run her hands through his hair, examine his every scar and burn. And then she realized that he was waiting for an answer. She parted her lips to say something, but found her voice had closed in on itself. She settled for nodding gently.

"Good." He said gently, reaching his other hand up and brushing her wild hair away from her face. He tucked it behind her ear and ran his fingers gently down her ear and then to her jaw line. His fingertips left her skin tingling, the knots in her stomach tightened and the butterflies multiplied. She shifted slightly and their hips brushed. Hermione's eyes opened as his thumb, which had been tracing around her jaw, paused. Their eyes met, and Hermione felt herself being swallowed up by his eyes. She couldn't look away. Her throat was suddenly dry and she longed for a drink of water, but she couldn't move. Didn't want to move. Everything she liked about Charlie suddenly seemed to be brought to the front of her mind - how his hair, slightly wavy, fell across his forehead; the way his freckles were so thick they made his skin look tanned; how upon first glance, his eyes looked nothing more than dark pools of brown, but now that she was so close, she could see flecks of green and gold hiding within their depths.

Pleasure flooded through her as he murmured her name. His breath tickled her ear, but it was the softness of his voice that caused her an intense desire to kiss him. No thoughts of Ron crossed her brain, or of Luna or Ernie, it was all Charlie. It was her wanting him more than ever, her finally being free to want him, to see what was in front of her - the tough exterior dissolved into tenderness, not concern and worry, just tenderness and desire.

Their first kiss popped into her head and she stiffened slightly, but pushed it away quickly. She was not going to let the past ruin this. But now that it was in her mind, she couldn't get it out. The anger she had felt, the betrayal...and her desire for Charlie. Well, that hadn't changed.

Charlie's thumb found its way back to her cheek, and Hermione was thrown out of her mind quickly when his lips touched the spot his thumb had just caressed. Her heart was pounding in her chest again, more rapidly than it had been before as his lips continued across her cheek, her jaw line, her chin, leaving hot trails behind until her whole face felt hot. Her chest rose and fell quickly, and when his lips touched the corner of her mouth, she couldn't help but turn her head so that their lips brushed. Hermione wrapped one arm around his neck, and cupped his face with her other hand. Her fingertips ran over the slight growth of hair on his jaw just as she'd pictured earlier. He dropped his hand from the counter to her waist and pulled her against him, their legs intertwining.

It felt like an explosion had gone off inside of Hermione. Warmth spread through her body, from her stomach to the tips of her fingers and toes. She felt as if she was suspended between two worlds - the real world, and the one where only she and Charlie existed. She wanted to fall deeper into the second world where nothing mattered but Charlie and kissing him. Oh Merlin, kissing him. People talk about mind-blowing sex all the time, well this was a mind-blowing kiss. She had never experienced something like this. The chemistry between them...she hadn't known that it existed. If cliché's existed in real life, stars would be flying across the sky and the earth would be shattering. She didn't want it to end.

But of course, it did. Arms and legs intwined, clothing slightly rumpled, both breathless and slightly flushed, neither moved. A happy smile slowly spread across Charlie's face, and Hermione couldn't help but mirror him. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time." He murmured into her hair.

"I seem to remember trying to do that before, and you'd have none of it." Hermione reminded him, a teasing glint in her eye.

Charlie laughed and kissed her again. He tried to just make it a quick kiss, but Hermione would have none of that. She pulled herself closer to him and raised herself onto her tip-toes. She was just about to fall into that other world when a sound from the real world disrupted her - an alarm going off in the hallway, and then a voice announcing a Code Blue.

She and Charlie fell away from each other, tripping over limbs. They had both spent enough time in the hospital during the war to know what a Code Blue was - someone in the ward was dying.


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7

Hermione and Charlie ran from the loo, careening down the hallway and nearly skidding past Luna's door. As they feared, it was full of Healers in a panic. Hermione pushed on the door, but it wouldn't budge. She cursed loudly and banged on the door. One of the Healers noticed her, but didn't leave Luna's bedside.

"Hermione!" Hermione turned, it was Ginny, ashen-faced and trembling. "Where have you been?"

Hermione skipped past the question. "What happened?"

"I dunno." Ginny turned to stare into the room through the large windows. "I went to the cafeteria to get some tea and...I heard the Code Blue. Oh gods...I knew I should've just waited for you to come back."

Hermione's stomach swam with guilt. She glanced at Charlie through her peripheral vision, who was staring into the room, lips pursed tightly together. Their fingers kept brushing, and she wanted desperately to take his hand, but now that Ginny was there she didn't dare.

"Someone should call Harry." Hermione said suddenly. "And Neville and Ron."

"I'll do it." Charlie volunteered. "They should be at the Auror's Office, right?"

Hermione nodded absently. He grabbed her hand quickly and squeezed it before disappearing. Ginny moved closer to the window, pressing her palms to the glass. "I wish they'd tell us what's happening."

Hermione agreed. But it wouldn't be for some time before anyone would emerge from the room and by that time Harry, Ron and Neville had long since arrived. A young man wearing the robes of an intern emerged first, and the group immediately surrounded him. "What's going on? Is she all right?"

The intern looked panicked at being confronted by so many people, but he nodded slowly. "She is stable. Healer Rosenthal is examining her - he's the best."

"Well, what happened?" Neville asked impatiently. The poor man hadn't stopped pacing since he arrived.

"We don't know." Another Healer emerged from the room. "I'm Healer O'Brien, I've been working on Miss Lovegood's case. Who was the last person to see her before?"

Ginny raised her hand slowly. "I did. I just went to get a cup of tea, I hadn't planned on leaving her long."

Healer O'Brien nodded consolingly. "It's alright, you wouldn't have been able to stop it anyway. We don't know what caused her to crash, but her heart stopped. We think...the poison may be spreading."

"But what about the potions?" Hermione asked quickly. "I was given potions, they healed me."

The Healer examined her closely. "You're the one that was brought in with Miss Lovegood?" Hermione nodded. "Well your cases are extremely different, I'm afraid. You only had a mild poisoning, Miss Lovegood...is quite a lot worse. We fear...that her organs may be compromised."

"But you'll be able to do something. You'll be able to heal them." Neville's voice cracked when he spoke - Hermione could hear the desperation in his voice.

"We are doing our best."

Hermione closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair. "Can we do anything to help?"

The Healer shook his head. "I'm afraid not. But we will be moving her as soon as she's stable."

"Moving her? Moving her where?" Harry asked sharply.

"To the Intensive Care Unit on this floor. We need someone to be watching her at all times."

"But...Intensive Care...will we still be able to see her?" Ginny asked slowly.

"I'm afraid not. Some of the patients in ICU are not well enough to be exposed to possible diseases."

"I suggest you all go home, get some rest. We will Floo you if anything comes up."

Neville shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Me neither." Hermione agreed.

"Well I can't stop the rest of you from staying but...Miss Granger, I cannot permit you to stay on the ward."

"Why not?" Hermione asked in outrage.

"You are a recovering patient. You need rest and relaxation, and you will not get that here."

"You think I am going to be able to relax when Luna-"

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger, but you will find that your Healers will agree with me."

Hermione frowned and crossed her arms, but didn't say anything else. She was sure her Healer's would agree - one was stricter than any Healer she had ever met, and the other was so concerned with her welfare he nearly sent her home when she came to stay with Luna originally.

So, while everyone else stayed, Hermione left. Charlie accompanied her, saying he didn't feel like he belonged there, and walked with her to nearest designated Apparation spot. It was only once they had reached the tiny shed behind what had once been a book shop that Hermione realized how much she didn't want to be alone in her flat. Especially not when the last time she had actually been there had been so disastrous. She chewed her lip, standing about a foot away from the shed. "Do you want me to go with you?" Charlie asked quietly, as if reading her mind.

Hermione nodded. Charlie took her hand, opened the shed door and they stepped inside together. "Do you feel well enough to Apparate? Or do you want to Side-Along?"

"No, I'm all right."

Charlie nodded and released her hand. Next moment, he was gone. She sucked in a deep breath, closed her eyes and followed him.

Hermione stumbled slightly as she apparated into the hidden alley that was the closest designated apparation spot to her flat. She hadn't apparated since being admitted to St. Mungo's, and it had left her feeling queazy.

Charlie grabbed her arm to steady her. "Are you all right?"

Hermione nodded, eyes still closed, but didn't quite trust herself to speak right at that moment.

"You sure?"

"Just give me a moment." She muttered through clenched teeth.

It took a good two minutes for the world to stop spinning and longer for Hermione's stomach to stop churning. But they slowly started to make their way to her flat, Charlie's arm wrapped protectively around her waist.

By the time they reached her flat - which was a good four blocks away - Hermione's stomach still hadn't settled down, though she wasn't sure if that was from the apparation or the dread that had swooped in on her once she caught sight of her building. She realized very suddenly how much she did not want to go in there. She knew before that it was going to be difficult after the trauma from the last time she was in her flat, but...she didn't realize that she was going to be down right afraid of going in there.

Hermione stopped walking just in front of the front door and began to worry her lip. Charlie had his hand on the door before realizing Hermione had stopped. He turned slowly, studying her. "You okay?"

"Can we go...somewhere else?"

"Hermione..." Charlie let go of the door and took her hands in his. "She's not dead."

Hermione looked at him sharply and yanked her hands away from him. "I know that."

Charlie studied her for a few moments and then, slowly, suggested, "If you don't want to go up we can...go to my place?" He sounded hesitant, like he didn't want to go back to his house as much as Hermione didn't want to go into her flat.

Hermione shook her head sharply. "I'll be fine."

She pushed passed him, through the door and was outside of her front door, key in the lock, before the anxiety came back. Her hand would not turn the key to unlock the door. Her fingers were trembling. She worried her lip again.

She felt Charlie's presence behind her and tried to force herself to move, but couldn't. She just didn't want to face the mess that was bound to be in there. She didn't want to be reminded of her near-death experience - of Luna's.

Charlie stepped forward. He leaned into her, one hand on her hip, the other on her hand, twisting it slowly to turn the key. His mouth was by her ear. She could feel his warm breath against her cheek, fluttering her hair. "It'll be okay." He whispered.

The lock clicked and Charlie twisted the door knob. The door swung open gently, revealing a perfectly clean flat. Hermione started and stepped forward suddenly. "What..." she stepped into her flat, crossed into the kitchen, then the sitting room. She wandered down the hall and peeked into Luna's room. Totally clean. She turned around. Charlie had followed her into the flat and was leaning against the hallway wall. "I don't..."

"I hope you don't mind. Ginny and I came by and tidied up earlier. We didn't figure you wanted to come home to this."

"I...thank you, Charlie."

He smiled gently at her and straightened. He closed the distance between them and enveloped her in his arms. Hermione closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent. It was nearly overpowered by the sterile smell of the hospital, but she could still detect the smell of freshly cut grass mixed with cedar and a sort of smokey smell.

"Are you hungry?" Charlie asked quietly. "I could make you something."

"No. Thank you."

He pulled away slightly. "How about some tea?"

Hermione nodded. "Tea would be nice."

He led her into the kitchen, sat her down at one of the stools and started to look through the cupboards for tea. Hermione let him wonder and search for a few minutes before pointing him in the right direction for the supplies.

They were quiet while they waited for the water to boil, and then while they sipped their tea. They were on their way to a relaxing afternoon when an owl started tapping urgently at one of the kitchen windows. Hermione nearly dropped her tea cup. Charlie let the owl in, which dropped the letter promptly in front of Hermione. She stared at it, and then at Charlie. Slowly, she picked it up - it had the Ministry seal on it. "Oh no..." she gasped, raising a hand to her mouth.

"What is it?"

"It's from work." There were very few reasons why she would be getting a letter from work when she was on sick leave, and none of them were pleasant.

Full of dread, Hermione slit open and read the short letter inside. "The Minister insists that I go to the Ministry immediately."

"You can't. You're Healer -"

"I doubt it will be for long." Hermione said quietly, setting the letter down on the counter gently, as if it was tied to her life. "I expect he's going to tell me that he's closing down my department."

Charlie stared at her, his mouth slightly open. After a moment he said, "Merlin...I'm sorry."

Hermione smiled ironically. "I would like to be able to say that this is one of the worst weeks of my life but...I'd be lying." She squeezed her eyes shut and ran her hand over her face. She was sure Charlie was watching her very closely again, concern written all over his face. She didn't have the energy to tell him not to worry about her. Instead, she pushed her half-drunk tea away, stood up and went into her bedroom. Charlie followed. At least, he did until she closed her bedroom door. He didn't have a chance to ask her what she was doing before she had emerged, wearing robes suitable for the office. He stared at her as she walked by, heading to her study.

She pulled out her briefcase, which was full of documents and important papers. She retrieved one file - the one she had given Ernie - and dumped the rest of the contents on the floor

"Hermione...?" Charlie was standing in the doorway, looking half confused, half concerned.

She didn't answer him and began to dig through the pile of papers on her desk, examining some closely, barely even glancing at others. Most of them she tossed onto the floor, while Charlie watched her, totally flabbergasted. A few - a very few - she put into the folder.

Once she had finished going through all of the papers, she turned around. Charlie was staring at her, mouth once again hanging open slightly. "This is the Equal Rights Bill I've been working on." Hermione told him. "Or, it would have been. I'm going to give it to Kingsley. I may not have anyone's support within the Ministry...but I have to try do something with it."

She set the file carefully into her briefcase, closed it, and walked out of the room. Charlie continued to follow her.

"Hermione, I really don't think you should go. You've only just been released from hospital."

"I'll be fine."

"You're Healer said no excitement. This is definitely excitement."

Hermione was already at the fire place. She had a fistful of Floo Powder. "I can't not go."

"Write back to Kingsley, tell him you're still too ill."

Hermione sighed in exasperation and turned around, her fist clenched around a healthy amount of Floo Powder. "Stop fussing. I'll be fine. I don't expect I'll be an hour." She pecked him on the lips. And then realized what she had just done and felt her cheeks redden. Quietly she asked, "Will you be here when I get back?"

He nodded slowly. His disapproving expression had softened when she kissed him, but he was still not happy with what she was doing.

"Good." She turned and cast the Floo Powder into the fireplace. "Would you mind feeding Crookshanks? His food is in the cupboard above the sink."

"Fine."

She looked over her shoulder. "Please don't be cross with me. I have to do this."

He nodded slowly, but didn't say anything. Hermione sighed. "I'll see you soon."

Leaving the Minster for Magic's office, for possibly the last time, was strange for Hermione. And not because she was a nostalgic kind of person, but because everyone was watching her.

She had been correct when she had assumed that Kingsley was closing her department. One thing she hadn't been correct on, however, was that Kingsley wouldn't be interested in her Bill. He was very interested, and promised to look it over and see what he could do about it. At least that was one thing off of her mind.

Hermione walked into her department with mixed feelings. She was relieved and excited that her Bill may actually go through, but she was filled with dread about her department being closed. She wasn't looking forward to telling everyone. She felt something akin to failure, and that just about tore her to pieces.

"Miss Granger!" Beth gasped when she saw her. "What are you doing here? I thought you were on sick leave!"

"I was." Hermione said, trying not to sound too distressed. "Beth...call everyone into my office, will you?"

Beth's eyes widened and she stood from her chair as Hermione walked passed, into her office. She followed Hermione. "Hermione..." Beth gasped. "Is...are we...?"

Hermione set her briefcase down on her desk and turned around. She nodded quickly. Beth looked like she might crumple to the floor. Hermione hurried over to her and lead her over to one of the chairs. "I'll call everyone in...you just sit here."

Hermione left her office and rounded up the rest of her coworkers. In truth, there wasn't a whole lot of them left. Seven, actually, not including Hermione or Beth. During the war there had been nearly thirty.

Once she had them gathered in her office, she did not sit down. She stood in front of them, but she didn't use the desk while she explained to them what was going on. There was a mixture of reactions - some, like Beth, despaired, others were angry, and some - like Berkley McKenzie - had no reaction at all. "The Minister is giving us two weeks to finalize anything that needs to be finalized and to pack up. He was very clear that we do not need to be here the full two weeks - but we will be paid for those fourteen days."

"And how long have you know about this?" Berkley McKenzie snarled from the corner.

Hermione looked at her sharply. "I was told when I came in, and then I came here to tell you."

"But you obviously had an inkling that it was going to happen."

"As I'm sure you did."

"So the Minister didn't tell you weeks ago that we may be closed?"

"When did this become an interrogation?" Beth asked sharply from her chair. "Whoever didn't have an inkling that the department may be closed just wasn't using their head. It was obvious."

Berkley didn't reply, but she glowered at both Hermione and Beth until people started to clear out of Hermione's office and she was forced to leave. Only when everyone was gone did Hermione sink down into her chair. She rested her head on her desk, feeling the niggling of a headache at the base of her neck. She exhaled heavily, exhausted. Utterly exhausted and drained.

"Maybe you should go home, Hermione."

Hermione looked up, surprised that Beth was still sitting across from her.

"There's nothing you can do here now, anyway. I can start boxing your things up, if you want."

Hermione shook her head. "Worry about your own things. I'll do mine. But... I think I will head home. If my Healer finds out I came to work he'll be furious."

Beth nodded and left. Hermione picked up her briefcase, empty now, and shrunk it so that it would fit into her pocket. She made her way to the lifts, passing a now-buzzing office. People were busy boxing things up, scribbling frantically into files, probably whispering behind their hands about Hermione. All eyes were upon her again and she was relieved to enter the lift, which unfortunately wasn't empty. There was a wizard from Magical Games and Sports whom she only knew by face, a janitor and...Draco Malfoy.

Malfoy smirked at her as he inclined his head in greeting. Her lips twitched into a slight smile in response, though she really would have preferred to just ignore him. She had not seen Malfoy since Bill and Fleur's anniversary, and to be perfectly honest, she had not been looking forward to seeing him again for a while.

She noticed Malfoy shift and lean against the wall, no doubt the smirk on his face growing. "Well, aren't you going to say hello?"

Hermione hadn't planned on it and would have liked to say it. But instead, she muttered, "Hello, Malfoy."

"So it's back to 'Malfoy' is it?"

Hermione made no response.

"What's wrong with you?"

Hermione's head jerked up in surprise. "Sorry?"

"I haven't seen you act like this since...well probably since our younger years at Hogwarts."

Hermione avoided his gaze and shrugged. "I'm fine, Malfoy." _Besides having just spent the better part of the week in the hospital, having my department closed and one of my best friends on her death bed._ "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Going to the lobby, what else?"

"That's not what I meant."

"I know."

But he didn't offer up any other information and Hermione didn't press him.

"How's Lovegood? Ginny told me she is in hospital."

"She's hanging in there." Hermione glanced sharply up at Malfoy. "You should have came, you know, when she was first admitted. Ginny was a wreck."

"I've already experienced this lecture, Granger, I don't fancy hearing it from you."

Hermione frowned, but again didn't press him. She glanced at the doors, hoping they would open soon.

"So what's Weasley done this time?"

Hermione balked and turned to stare at Malfoy. "What?"

"Weasley. What's he done to upset you?"

"Wha-? Oh, you mean Ron."

Malfoy blinked slowly and fixed her with an inquisitive stare. "Who else would I mean?"

"I thought...well, how am I supposed to know what you're thinking?"

Malfoy looked amused again. "So what's he done?"

"Nothing." And for once, she was actually telling the truth when she said that Ron had done nothing.

"Fine then, what's his new woman done?"

Hermione clenched her jaw together and at told him, "I can get upset over something besides Ronald, you know, Malfoy."

"Hmmm...is it his elder brother, then?"

Hermione gaped at him. "What are you on about? Why on earth would I be upset with Charlie?"

Draco smirked, "How did you know I was talking about him?"

Hermione flushed and looked at her toes. Draco continued as if he hadn't spoken, "From what I've gleaned, the two of you have been getting fairly...friendly." Hermione could imagine the gleam in Draco's eyes. "And I thought you'd be upset about him leaving, is all."

A stone seemed to settle in Hermione's stomach as her eyes jerked up to Draco. "What?"

Something flashed in the back of Draco's eyes that Hermione couldn't read, but when he spoke he was hesitant. "He hasn't told you?"

Hermione swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. "Told me what?" _And why would he tell you over me?_

"He's...going back to Romania. He leaves Sunday."

Hermione felt like she had been hit with a tidal wave. "Sunday," she managed to gasp.

Draco nodded slowly, looking uncomfortable. He took a step away from Hermione and glanced at the door, still firmly closed, as if he wanted to escape. "Don't cry." He sounded afraid.

"I'm not going to cry." Hermione snapped.

Draco cocked his head to the side slightly and raised his eyebrows. She avoided his gaze, and couldn't help but remind herself that Charlie wouldn't be back in England for months. Her chest contracted uncomfortably and the walls suddenly felt like they were closing in. She closed her eyes and began breathing deeply, trying to ignore the claustrophobia she was feeling.

"Are you...okay?" Malfoy asked timidly, like he really didn't want to know.

"Why do you care?" Hermione snarled, opening her eyes.

Draco replied by inching forward and staring at her. She noticed his hand twitch towards the emergency stop button. Hermione raised her eyebrows at him in surprise, though the look fell quickly when she recognized the look in his eyes. The same look that she had seen colour his face at Hogwarts during the short times he was single. And, well, even when he wasn't. His eyes swept over her appreciatively and Hermione felt like hitting him. Instead she crossed her arms and anger that really had little to do with Malfoy pulsed through her body. She glared at him "Forget it."

"Forget what?" he asked her deviously.

"The thoughts that are going through your head right now." He continued to feign ignorance. So Hermione decided to change topics. "How do you know that Charlie's leaving anyway?"

"Ginny told me." He said almost carelessly, the gleam still very much in his eye. Hermione did not like how he was looking at her.

"Yeah?" She asked a little shakily. "And what about Ginny? Or have you forgotten she's one of my best friends?"

To Hermione's surprise, Malfoy started to laugh. "She wouldn't care."

"She wouldn't care," Hermione repeated shaking her head. "Do you know her at all, Malfoy?"

His eyes flashed and he told her bitterly, "We're on a break."

Surprise flashed through Hermione. "You're on a...why?"

"You'll have to ask her," he said resentfully and for the remainder of the ride, they were silent. The lustful gleam in Malfoy's eyes were gone. In fact, he didn't look at her again. Tension was thick in the air, and in Hermione's shoulders. She was very much relieved when the doors opened again, revealing the bustle of the atrium. She started to step around Draco, but he stepped in front of her, accusation in his eyes. "You really think I would do anything to hurt Ginny?"

He didn't give her a chance to answer. He swept from the lift and Hermione stared after him until he disappeared out her line of sight. Shaking her head, Hermione stepped out of the lift, and headed for one of the empty fireplaces, intent on having a chat with a certain red head.


	8. Chapter 8

Part 8

When Hermione appeared out of the fireplace, Charlie just watched her. He was sitting on her sofa, which was directly in front of the fireplace, a cup of tea on the coffee table and Crookshanks in his lap. Crookshanks jumped off of Charlie's lap, purring, and trotted over to Hermione. "How'd it go?" Charlie asked, reaching for his cup. He didn't sound annoyed anymore.

Hermione crossed her arms, ignoring Crookshanks, who was winding between her legs, rubbing his head against her insistently. "As well as can be expected - the department is closed and half of my coworkers are mutinous." She paused and then blurted, "I saw Draco Malfoy."

Charlie looked at her over his cup and then took a sip. "Oh." He didn't sound remotely interested.

"He and Ginny are on a break."

"Ginny mentioned that."

Hermione stared at him, not exactly coldly, but it wasn't a friendly stare either. Charlie set his cup on the table and stood up. "Is something bothering you?" He sounded genuinely concerned.

"Yeah." Hermione had a hard time keeping the anger and hurt out of her voice. "I'd like to know when you were planning on telling me that you were leaving for Romania in four days."

Shock colored Charlie's features. His eyes darted to the fireplace, then to Crookshanks, still insistently rubbing against Hermione's leg, and then finally up to Hermione. "I was going to tell you. I just...with everything's that happened..."

Hermione shook her head. "You Weasley's are all the same," She said angrily. She picked Crookshanks up and left the living room angrily. She headed to the kitchen, hoping for some tea herself. Charlie followed her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked shortly.

Hermione whirled around. "It means that your favourite thing to do is kiss and run. Any sign of anything that might be a little serious and you flee at first sight."

"This is my job!"

"Yeah, and you kiss me four days before you leave. Do you expect me to wait around? To pine after you while your away? Because it isn't going to happen!"

Charlie set his jaw. "Well I had hoped that you would come with me, but apparently that's out of the question."

Hermione blinked. "Go...go with you?"

"Yes, Hermione." Charlie growled. "Believe it or not, not all of us are like Ron."

Hermione expected him to leave after that line, but he didn't move. Neither did she. Crookshanks purred happily in her arms.

"Well?" Charlie asked, the anger gone from his voice. "Will you come with me?"

Hermione blinked at him, her mind whirring. She wanted to scream "Yes, yes of course!" but she couldn't. She knew she couldn't. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't leave. Hermione's shoulders sagged and she sighed loudly. She turned, dropped Crookshanks onto a stool and went to the kettle. "I can't."

She poured herself a cup of tea and when she turned around, Charlie was right behind her. She nearly slopped the tea all over herself. "Why? There's nothing holding you here." He was staring right into her eyes, the gold flecks in his eyes threatening to take control of her again.

Hermione couldn't hold his gaze. "I...my Healer wouldn't allow it, for one thing."

"There are Healer's in Romania."

"And what about Luna? I can't leave her now."

"You're not the only person here who cares about her. She'd have a lot of visitors. Besides, you'll be able to get to the hospital as easily from Romania as you would from here."

Hermione gave him a look. "I would not, Charlie, and you know it. International Apparation is more complicated that Apparating from home. And the International Floo Network is a bureaucratic mess. Not to mention that getting word to me would be just as difficult...don't look at me like that. You know it's true."

"But it'd still be possible. If you wanted it to happen."

"I can't just pick up and leave, Charlie."

"Think of it as a vacation. You said yourself you could use a vacation."

Hermione's brow furrowed as she tried to remember saying anything about needing a vacation to him. "No, I didn't."

"Well...you could. And your job won't be holding you down anymore." Charlie took her cup and set it on the counter and then grasped her hands in his. "We could be together. We wouldn't have to worry about any problems it might cause, about our families disapproving or any of it. We could be free to be together."

Hermione closed her eyes for a few moments. She allowed herself a few moments, to drop into the fantasy. She imagined living with Charlie, spending every day with him. She imagined being happy with him.

And then her sense started to kick in. He would be working most of time. And where would she be? His...house? Apartment? She didn't even know what he lived in in Romania. For all she knew it was a tent. But it would be alone. And that really didn't appeal to her. Besides, she had seen enough dragons in her life - she didn't need to see any more. She opened her eyes to tell Charlie that, but the hopeful look on his face crushed the words before the left her lips. "I...I just don't know."

"I thought you wanted to make something out of this."

_Out of this? _Hermione thought._ And what is 'this'?_

"But if you don't want it..." he continued unhappily.

"I didn't say I didn't want it, Charlie. I just...you kissed me, and now you want me to come to Romania with you. It feels like we're missing a whole lot of steps in between."

"And that sounds like an excuse."

"My whole life is here. Just because I don't have a job anymore doesn't mean I can just pick up and leave."

"What's holding you to this life, Hermione? You could start over. I know you don't like dragons, but that's not all that Romania has. You could work for their Ministry, do some international work. You could go to school - I...I know you wanted to go back to school after the war. There are a lot of options."

"What about my friends? My family? Crookshanks? He's too old to move now."

Charlie didn't have a response.

"And I've got my flat. It's nearly paid for - almost my own."

"You could have just said you didn't want to come with me."

He dropped her hands and turned away from her. Hermione bit her lip. A strong ache splitting down her chest. "It's not that I don't want to go with you...it's that I can't. Not at this point in my life. If Luna hadn't gotten sick...but she did. And I can't leave her now, despite how many people there are for her here, how many ways there are of international correspondence. I can't leave her."

Charlie turned around, his face set. "I understand."

"I'm sorry." It came out as barely more than a whisper.

"Me too."


	9. Chapter 9

Part 9

Sunday came and went, and Hermione and Charlie barely spoke. She went to the farewell bash Bill threw him out at Shell Cottage on Saturday night, but besides a few awkward phrases of small talk, they didn't speak. Hermione found herself nearly attached to Ginny's hip for the few hours that both women attended the party. Neither felt right about celebrating anything while Luna was in the hospital. Not to mention the tension that Hermione felt whenever she was around Charlie. Their conversation - about her going to Romania with him - seemed to still be floating between them, like they had left things unsaid. And maybe she had. Maybe she should have told him how much she wanted to be with him. How much him returning to Romania without her hurt. But she hadn't.

So Sunday came and it went, and she hadn't told him. She spent the entire day at the hospital, where a specialist from - of all places - Romania had just arrived. Hermione couldn't help but notice the irony of the situation.

The specialist was ancient, with wispy white hair and skin like papyrus. Hermione couldn't help but doubt him a little - he just looked so frail. But when his tests started bringing back results - and positive ones at that - her doubt in him vanished. He seemed to know exactly the right things to ask, the right things to give Luna. Within a month of him working on Luna, the poison was seeping out of her. It was disgusting, really. It seeped out of her pores, leaving a yellowish goo all over her clothes and the bed sheets. But her condition was improving. Colour was returning to her skin. Her hair started to get it's sheen back, and she was breathing easier.

A month and a half later, she was conscious and talking. She wasn't quite her old self yet, but she was at least recognizable. She was no longer a shadow, whose hollow gaze sent chills down Hermione's spine. She even smiled.

At the three month mark, Luna was released from hospital. Hermione spent days preparing for the blonde's return to the flat: cleaning like a madwoman, filling the fridge and cupboards with food. She had spent so much time at the hospital the past three months that the flat was looking very unlived in. Hermione hadn't even bothered looking for another job yet; she had enough money saved to last her quite a while (she was an admitted knut-pincher) and Luna would need all the help she could get to get readjusted to living back at home. Just because she had been released from the hospital didn't mean that she was completely cured - she still had to take half a dozen or so potions a day, she had to have check-ins every three days, and Hermione was given the task of making sure she took the potions, went to the check-ins, ate regularly (Luna still had little to no appetitive) and didn't do anything too Luna-like. Another words, Luna's experiments were put on hold indefinitely. And Hermione couldn't say she minded. Six months previous she would have resented the job - not to mention the fact that she wasn't in a healthy enough mental state to look after herself at that time, let alone another person - but now...she was just relieved that Luna was okay.

The day of Luna's return, Hermione flew around the flat, making sure that Luna's room was ready for her, all the surfaces were dusted (the Healer's had told her that a dust-free environment was essential for Luna's speedy recovery), and only stopped fretting when Ron showed up and forced her to take a breather.

"You're going to wear yourself out before Harry and Ginny show up with her. C'mon, have a cup." He held out a styrofoam cup filled with tea for Hermione, who sat accepted it and allowed herself to be pushed into a chair. She still wasn't sure if she really liked being alone with Ron in the flat they used to share.

"How have you been?" Ron asked lightly, digging through the cupboards - probably for something to eat. Hermione glanced over at him, watching him as he rummaged through the cupboards she had only just filled a few days ago.

"Fine." Hermione answered, taking a small sip from the tea. "If you're looking for crisps, I haven't got any."

Ron straightened and turned around, looking slightly put out. "What do you mean you haven't got any crisps? Who doesn't have crisps?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't care for them. You were the one who ate them." She was surprised at how offhand the comment came off. And how easy it was for her to say it.

Ron sighed, obviously disappointed. "Ah, well. I suppose crisps and tea really don't suit one another."

He sat down across from her, and they sipped at their tea for a while. The silence wasn't exactly awkward, but it wasn't really that comfortable, either. "How's work?" Hermione asked.

"Good. It's slowing down a lot. I've actually been thinking of quitting to help George."

Hermione gaped at him over her tea. "You're going to go and work for George?"

"Yeah, maybe. Why?" He suddenly looked concerned. "Do you think I'd be rubbish at working in a shop?"

Hermione thought about it. "No. No I don't think so." She said, shaking her head. "But...not many people would quit a job like yours to work in a shop. It'll be quite a cut in pay, won't it?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah, but the life expectancy is about double."

Hermione chuckled and nodded. "Fair enough."

"What about you? Have you thought about going back?"

Hermione shook her head. "Kingsley has offered me a job at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures -"

"Ernie MacMillion would like that." Ron said, his tone darkening.

Hermione's cheeks darkened slightly and her stomach clenched uncomfortably. The image of certain red head popped into her mind, which she pushed away and continued as if she hadn't been interrupted. "-but I don't think I can go back to work yet. Luna needs me."

"And what did the Minister say when you told him that?"

Hermione smiled. "He said the job would be there for me whenever I wanted it."

Ron grinned. "That's brilliant!"

Their conversation came easier after that. Or at least, easier than it had been for months. It was almost like they were friends again, rather than ex-lovers. Hermione hadn't realized how much she had missed his friendship.

Harry and Ginny arrived a short time later with Luna, who was looking tired, but excited. They stayed for dinner - which Hermione ordered in - but not long after that. Luna went straight to bed after her potions, and even after she was long asleep, Hermione couldn't help but wonder at the day. She had started to mend her friendship with Ron, Luna was back where she belonged, Harry and Ginny were friendly again and Hermione had a job prospect. Things finally seemed to be falling back into place, where they ought to be.

She could almost feel content, until a tiny voice in the back of her head whispered, Romania and she was reminded of Charlie, and how different her life could have been if she had gone with him. They hadn't corresponded in the three months since he had left England, but Hermione hadn't stopped thinking about him, hadn't stopped missing him. There were over a dozen half-finished letters sitting in her study, all addressed to Charlie. They started out the same - _How is Romania treating you? All is well here, Luna is finally on the mend, and I may even have a job prospect!_ But they ended when she got to the part where she wanted to say that she missed him. And it had been so long now, that it didn't seem right to send him a letter. For all she knew, he had moved on and was dating a gorgeous Romanian dragon tamer. It wouldn't surprise her if he was.

Thinking about Charlie had her wallowing in misery for a good while, until she reminded herself of all of the good things that had happened lately. And then the whole cycle would repeat itself - the contentment would take over until her consciousness whispered Romania or Charlie and she would feel awful. And around and around it went.

The next day, she had hoped that she would be better. That the wallowing was just exhaustion talking. And she was better, until Luna went to sleep and she tried to curl up with a book. Then she would start thinking of Charlie again. And that cycle would repeat. She would be fine during the day, but as soon as she was alone and didn't have Luna to worry about, she would start to think about Charlie.

By the fifth day of this, she had already proposed to Ginny that they go out. Neville volunteered to stay with Luna, though he didn't know that the whole night out was proposed so that Hermione could get Charlie Weasley out of her head. She had convinced herself that he had moved on, that he never thought of her - why else would he not have contacted her in three months? - so she was determined to do so as well. She was tired of waiting for men who didn't want her.

Luna was sitting out on the sofa with Crookshanks curled up on her lap, chatting at Hermione as she got ready to go. Hermione tried to insist that Luna go to bed, but Luna insisted that because she had already slept so much that day, she really wouldn't be able to close her eyes. Hermione wondered if she just didn't want to sleep because Neville was coming over. What Hermione had thought was just a crush on Neville's part was quickly developing into something that reflected both ways. Or at least, Hermione suspected as much.

Hermione was just squeezing into her jeans when she heard Ginny's voice in the hallway. The red head popped her head into Hermione's room just as she was about to leave. "I've got some fantastic news!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Oh?" Hermione asked, distracted. She just remembered that she would need Muggle money, but she couldn't remember where she had stashed the little bit she had exchanged from Gringotts the last time she visited her mum and dad.

"Mhmm. Guess who's back in town?"

Hermione was only half listening. She had started to dig through her drawers.

"Charlie!" Ginny nearly squealed. Hermione froze and she slowly straightened and turned, eyes wide. Ginny was bouncing on her toes. "He's been transferred to Wales!" Ginny continued, grinning from ear to ear. "He showed up at mum and dad's today for brunch and told us." Ginny's smile faltered. "Why are you looking like that? I thought you'd be pleased..."

Hermione forced herself to smile. "I am. It's just...I'm surprised. When I saw him last he made it seem like he'd be gone for a while."

"Well that's what we thought too, but he said he asked for a transfer and they gave it to him."

"He asked for a transfer?"

"Mhmm. It took them longer than he wanted to approve it, I think. But he got it in the long run." Ginny's grin got even wider. "He hasn't been this close to home since he took that job!"

Hermione nodded, staring past Ginny, towards her front door. Her mind was filled with Charlie, exactly what she didn't want. Why hadn't he told her? Or come to see her? Had he really moved on? Why did he request for a transfer if he had? Did he just want to be closer to his family?

"Hermione?" Ginny asked, approaching her slowly. "Are you all right?"

"You know, I don't think I want to go out tonight, Ginny. It's been a long day."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just tired."

"Does this have to do with Charlie?"

"I could probably catch Neville before he Floo's over if I'm quick."

"Hermione."

Hermione squeezed past Ginny and made a bee-line for the living room, where Luna was still sitting, scratching Crookshanks behind the ears.

"Hermione, stop. What's gotten into you? You haven't acted this way for months."

Hermione had thrust her hand into the pot full of Floo Powder, but paused from retrieving it at Ginny's remark. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just tired."

"What, is something going on with you and Charlie?" Ginny asked, exasperated.

Hermione withdrew her hand from the Floo Powder quickly, knocking the pot to the floor. Hermione cursed as it shattered, sending the shimmery green powder flying everywhere. She turned to go retrieve her wand to clean it up, but Ginny grabbed her shoulders and stared at her. "Speak."

"It'll stain the floor if I don't clean it up."

"Forget the damn Powder! Answer my question - are you involved with Charlie?"

Hermione's throat suddenly seemed dry, her stomach queazy. Ron's reaction to the possibility that Hermione and Charlie might be together filled her mind's eye, and she flinched away from Ginny. "No." She said quickly, spinning away from the red head.

"Yes, you are." Ginny said slowly, and then broke out into a grin. "Oh, mum's going to be thrilled!"

Hermione spun around, jabbing her finger at Ginny. "Don't you dare tell your mother anything!"

Ginny nearly squealed with glee. "So there is something going on!"

Hermione ground her teeth together. "I haven't spoken to him in three months."

"Of course not, none of us have."

"I haven't corresponded with him for three months."

Ginny's face fell slightly. "But...nothing? Not even a letter?"

"Nothing. So no, Ginny, there is nothing going on between us. Okay?"

"But you want there to be." Ginny pressed, that look of glee starting to surface again.

"I don't know!" Hermione exclaimed in frustration. "Okay? Just...leave it!"

They stood there, watching each other. Ginny, grinning madly, Hermione, feeling confused and annoyed. Luna still sat on the sofa, watching them, but no longer petting Crookshanks. Hermione pushed her hand through her hair and started towards her bedroom to get her wand to clean up the mess when a loud _crack_! made her screech and jump backwards into the fireplace.

"_Neville_!" Hermione gasped, massaging her back where the mantel had dug into her.

He glanced at her standing in the fireplace and winced. "Oh, sorry. Had you wanted me to Floo in?"

Hermione continued to massage her back. "Don't worry about it. I'm not going out anyway."

Ginny groaned. Neville cocked his head to the side. "You aren't?"

"No."

"But Hermione-!" Ginny started.

"Don't, Ginny. I'm going to bed."

Hermione locked herself in her bedroom for the rest of the night. She heard Ginny, Luna and Neville talking well into the night, even though Luna should have been sleeping. Even after the voices disappeared and the lights went out, Hermione couldn't fall asleep. She couldn't stop thinking about Charlie. Being alone, and left to her own thoughts made it that much worse.

Finally, she just gave up. She dressed and went to the kitchen. On her way passed the living room, she noticed a figure on the couch. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was Neville. She couldn't think of why he didn't just apparate home, where he would have had a comfortable bed. _Maybe he doesn't trust that I won't have another emotional breakdown._ Hermione shook the thought from her head and made herself a cup of warm milk.

Sitting in the dim light with her cup of milk, she didn't stop thinking about Charlie - how he felt towards her, what he was doing back in London. It was the same thoughts over and over again, the same questions. It was only after she had finished the milk that she had realized the solution to her problem. And such an easy one.

It was only when she was banging on the door to Charlie's London house that she realized he may not even live there anymore. And then she realized that it had to be at least 3 in the morning and winced. She was going to have a lot of explaining to do to the Muggle's who had taken over the place.

A light flicked on inside, and Hermione's stomach squirmed uneasily. She heard a lock scrape, and considered running for it. But then the door opened, and Charlie was there, fully dressed. He looked tired, but it was obvious that he hadn't been to bed yet. For one thing, he had a cup of coffee in his hand. For another, he didn't have that I-just-got-out-of-bed look to him.

"Hi." He said. He didn't sound surprised to see her.

"Hi." Hermione sucked on her teeth. Now that she was here, she didn't know what to say. "Ginny said you were back."

"Yes."

"Can I come in?"

"Oh. Yeah."

He stepped aside and let her pass. The place looked relatively the same from the last time she saw it. Apparently he hadn't moved his possessions out of the house.

"Do you want some tea? Coffee?"

"No, thanks. Charlie..." Hermione bit her lip. He just looked at her, cradling the cup of coffee in his hands. "Why'd you transfer to Wales?" She asked quickly.

He hesitated. "I wanted to be around to know Victoire. And any other nieces and nephews that come along."

Hermione nodded. "Right." No one said anything. "I...I should go."

He let her go. Which hurt more than Hermione had expected. She apparated home and refused to think about the Weasley's. So she took some Dreamless Sleep, something she hadn't had to do for months.

When she woke up the next morning - or, afternoon, rather - she felt refreshed, but not satisfied after the sleep. It had been dreamless, as the potion advertised, but she woke feeling uneasy, as was normal after taking the potion. She got up, hoping for a cup of tea and the newspaper. She wandered into the kitchen, finding no newspaper, but a sealed letter and a note sitting on the counter.

_Hermione,_

_Neville and I have gone to the hospital for my appointment. We should be back this evening._

_Luna_

Hermione cursed. She had completely forgotten about Luna's check-in. It was a damn good thing Neville was there. HERE Maybe he did think I was reckless and emotional.

The other, Hermione couldn't guess. The seal was only a wax blob, there was no crest on it at all. She slit open the letter, and skipped to the sender's name. Charlie Weasley. Hermione's gut squeezed, and she almost tossed the letter back on the counter. Instead, she forced herself to read it.

_Hermione,_

_I know this is the cowardly way to do this - but hey, I'm writing at least. Better late than never? And ... well I'm not sure I could say all of this the way I want to in person. I tried and failed last night._

_I've transferred to Wales because of you. I know you said you wouldn't wait around, and if you haven't, I understand. But I just needed to let you know that my feelings for you haven't changed. I haven't stopped thinking about you. I wrote a letter to you nearly every night, but never got the courage to send it after our cold departure. I wasn't sure if your silence meant you wanted nothing to do with me, or if you were too afraid to send anything like me. After last night...I'm allowing myself to hope._

_If your feelings have changed and you don't want to see me, don't feel like you have to send anything back. I understand. But if there is any hope, even a shred...well I suppose you will let me know._

_Yours,_

_Charlie_

_PS - I am sorry about the way I acted last night. It was inexcusable, but I was so surprised to see you and...well I was exhausted. My brain wasn't quite up to speed. But...I'm sorry. I could have saved us both some time and sleeplessness by just spitting all of this out then. - C_

Hermione's stomach remained twisted into knots. She realized she was biting her lip. She set the letter down gingerly on the countertop and stared at it. Her mind was easy, for the first time in hours. She didn't even have to think about what she needed to do. She dressed, grabbed her keys, her wand, her jacket, and ran to the street. She ran all the way to the designated apparation spot, and then all the way up to Charlie's front door. She allowed herself ten seconds to breathe, to catch her breath and calm down. To try to form what she was going to say to him, but she didn't get a chance. As soon as she arrived on the door step, it opened, revealing Charlie, jacket on, looking ready to go somewhere. They stared at one another for a long moment, Hermione trying to catch her breath and figure out what to say to him. And then she realized that she didn't need to explain anything to him - she said enough just by being there. He seemed to realize the same thing - his face broke out into a wide grin. He stepped forward, looking like he wanted to embrace her, but stopped himself. "Hi." He whispered instead.

Hermione smiled. "Hi."


End file.
